Over 10,000 people participate in the agitation on Sunday to oppose establishment of the plants at Niddodi, Tadadi and Hanakona.
The central government’s proposal to establish three super thermal power plants at Niddodi (30 kilometres off Mangalore), and Tadadi and Hanakona in Uttara Kannada district, drew a lot of flak from the localites.
Over 10,000 people from 12 villages participated in a dawn to dusk agitation that was held at Niddodi on Sunday, and going by the look of the spontaneous crowd and the acrimonious and concerted anti-thermal project movement, it could gather momentum in the coming weeks and may spread out as a pan Karnataka issue.
“There is much at stake. According to the initial information we have, the government will make its move to acquire over 4,000 acres of land in at least four villages. The profile of the land that the government is angling for has fertile fields that has resources to cultivate three paddy crops and one pulse crop, apart from coconut, horticultural corps, areca, pepper and spices,” said Alphonse D’Souza, president of the Mathrubhoomi Rakshana Samiti.
However, there were diverse views about the extent of land being requisitioned for the proposed plant.
A group of activists, who also own farmlands in the area, claimed that there is a proposal to acquire an additional 8,000 acres of land, in which case, even more villages will come into the ambit.
“What we are fighting here is not just for our survival as farmers but against the government’s tendency to acquire fertile lands as well. At a time when the cost of food grains is on the rise, if the government takes away fertile lands from farmers, what is going to be the fate of the future generation!” exclaimed Rohitaksha Rai, president of the Dakshina Kannada unit of Rajya Raitha Sangha.
“We are sure similar attempts are being made to industrialise farm lands all over the country. When the Dakshina Kannada district invited the petroleum sector to set up a giant refinery near Mangalore, we lost over 2,400 acres of two crop land. Again 4,000 acres of fertile land was acquired by the petroleum sector to build a special economic zone and another 1,200 acres for building a thermal power plant about 25 kilometres from here. How much land are they going to take away from us,” he asked.
“At least two rivers will be affected and many small water bodies will vanish.
Nandini River will be (one of the worst) affected as many tributaries, in the form of small rivulets, will cease to join the river due to fragmentation and alteration of land mass. And, Shambavi River, which has a tributary running right through the land identified for the plant, will also be polluted,” said Shashidar Shetty, an environmental activist from Kallamundkur village.
Activists also expressed apprehensions about several Bhootha Sthanas (spirit worship shrines), Naga Sthanas (serpent worship shrines) and Devara Kadu (patches of forests dedicated to Gods) getting destroyed if the plants come up, and two major temples, including Kateel Durgaparameshwari, being affected.
However, Union ministers M Veerappa Moily and Oscar Fernandes said there was no proposal to the effect of setting up a thermal power station at Niddodi.
Meanwhile, Mangalore MP.
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}