Pejawar seer gives deadline to Udupi Power Corporation to stop activity

naeem@coastaldigest.com (CD Network)
February 23, 2011
Udupi, February 23: Pejawar Mutt pontiff Sri Vishwesha Theertha Swamiji has warned the Udupi Power Corporation (previous name Nagarjuna) and the government to stop producing power in a week and set a platform to discuss the matter of both fly ash and bottom ash affecting the local people, environment, flora and founa.

Swamiji was speaking to press persons at the ash pond site after inspecting the problems faced by the locals. He said, “we will wait (for the suspension of power generation) till March 3 after that we can sit and chalk out the measures to be taken to prevent the damage to the environment and also the measures to tackle the problems faced by the release of bottom ash, fly ash, saline water, coal discharge etc.

If the promoters of the project fail to stop the production, we will support people's decision”.

Swamiji met the locals who pleaded before him to find a solution to make them lead a life. Some even expressed against the government, ministers and the politicians. “You (Swamiji) announce your clear-cut decision. We People will intensify our protest”, said Sudhakar Shetty, an activist.

Hemavathi, an activist of Srikshethra Dharmasthala Self Help Groups, a resident of Padebettu said that the water discharged by the power plant would sometimes be saline, sometimes includes detergents, sometimes chemicals and some other time the oil contents.

“Many of the wells in the local coconut gardens have been contaminated. Agricultural labourers have been affected by skin allergy. So far our well water is safe and as many as five families have abandoned their wells and are using water from our well. I don't know for how long this is potable?” said Hemavathi.

Hemavathi also said, “in the early hours you can see rain like down pour and if you spread you palm you will collect some ash”.

Local BJP Mahila Morcha President Sumithra S Acharya said that even cows stopped eating hay, which came in to contact with the water discharged by the power plant.


Locals also complained that fertile gardens have gone unyielding, cats, dogs, fish etc which had the discharged water either fell sick or died.

Poovappa Poojary, a farmer, who cultivates around 20 acres of paddy field including 5 acres of his own land said, “water from over three open wells became in potable. Though I have planted 200 plantains none of them have shot up. Earliar I used to harvest over 300 muras of rice and now it has come down to 100 muras”.

Vijay Kumar Hegde who accompanied Swamij said that the outburst of the people against the power plant has been increasing day by day and they have been, under the banner of Raitha Sangha, organizing a concrete protest strategy, to shut the Nagarjuna plant permanently.

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coastaldigest.com news network
January 20,2020

Mangaluru, Jan 20: A suspicious unattended laptop bag with the suspicion of containing “something harmful” was found abandoned at the Mangaluru International Airport on Monday.

The bag was found kept in the rest area meant for the passengers outside the airport. According to reports, two men came in auto and left the bag near the ticket counter, which is near the VIP vehicles parking area.

The bag, which was lying unattended near the entrance of the airport was removed from the spot by the airport security personnel at 8.45 am.

Bomb detection squad personnel has rushed to the spot and shifted the bag to a safe zone, said Mangaluru Commissioner of Police P S Harsha.

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coastaldigest.com news network
May 13,2020

Mangaluru, May 13: Kinz Foundation started distributing around 1500 food packets daily for migrant workers migrating in different parts of Dakshina Kannada district amidst coastal coronavirus lockdown.

"We are distributing daily 1,500 food packets both vegetarian and non-vegetarian. The number will be increased to 5,000," said businessman Althaf Hussain who arranged food packets on May 13.

"These are trying times. The poor migrants who are being denied of their bread due to the lockdown deserve help and we are trying to bring them food which is most basic needs.” he added.

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News Network
April 18,2020

Bengaluru, Apr 18: Karnataka Health Minister B Sriramulu drew flak from his own party the BJP as well as the Congress for allegedly letting hundreds of people throng the Rupangudi Road in Ballari to collect food packets from him.

Visuals showed that the people came in hordes and fell on each other to collect the packets Sriramulu was distributing to the poor and needy as relief measure in the wake of lockdown.

The videos showed the minister standing with his team by the roadside and spreading out tables all along to distribute the food kit to the poor people.

Those in the queue had elderly people too.

A majority of people who rushed to grab the food packets did not bother to protect themselves with a mask.

"Whoever has done he has committed a blunder whether it is Sriramulu in Ballari or Anand Singh in Hospet.

All these elected representatives want to show that they are serviing the people in their constitutuency," said Karnataka BJP spokesperson Go Madhusudana.

Flaying the leaders of all political parties for defying norms, Madhusudana sad this has become fashionable for the leaders to perform 'cheap shows'.

He advised Sriramulu that it should have been done with door-to-door delivery of food packets instead of arranging it at the public place.

Congress spokesperson K E Radhakrishna said a case should be registered for defying regulations.

"I am all appreciation for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and Karnataka chief minister B S Yediyurappa who were the first to wake up and do something good for the people.

Now I feel sorry for them.

I wonder why they cannot control their own partymen.

People should file FIR against him (Sriramulu)," Congress spokesperson Prof K E Radhakrishna said

Slamming the alleged VVIP culture in the country, Radhakrishna said when the nation is facing a crisis, lavish marriages and grand birthday parties were organised. In the midst of all this health minister organises a food distribution mela, he added.

Attempts to reach the minister went in vain.

However, speaking to reporters at Ballari, Sriramulu admitted that the cases suddenly shot up in the state because of disregard to social distancing.

"People's support to lockdown is essential.

People have to maintain social distancing, without which we cannot control it," the minister said.

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