Udupi: UPCL makes Yellur, Santoor hell on earth

Udupi: UPCL makes Yellur, Santoor hell on earth

Mangalore Today News Network

Yellur, February 4: The real hell on earth can be experienced in Yellur and Santoor area in Udupi district where the fly ash pond of coal based thermal power plant is set up by the Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL).

 

As against the Supreme Court’s rule, the ash pond has been left open without any arrangements to close it in a closed chamber. The entire area has turned out to be a desert of ash and the smoke emerged out of stored ashes engulf the area resulting in dark surroundings. When lorries and tippers spill loads of ash into the ground, the hazardous ash role into smoke strings and move upwards. Huge gigantic waves of smoke later disperse everywhere and create suffocation in the area.

The situation has already affected the health of living beings in the area and calls for immediate attention before everything goes off the hand.

Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha Mudrangadi unit President Nitin informed that more than 50 lorries and tippers everyday carry ash and pour it into the ash pond. One cannot expect any growth in and around area, he added.

Retired teacher Prabhakar S Nayak informed that there are more than 100 houses that are badly affected due to the spilling of ash. Layers of smoke have smudged every nook and corner of the houses in the region. Trees and leaves are covered with smoke. It is highly impossible for people to stay here, he said.

Edward Mathias said, school children are prone to worst breathing problems. The dust is coercive and when it mixes with dew drops in the morning, it becomes sticky. Drinking water wells are contaminated, he informed. Localite Vanitha Shetty who is a beedi worker vent out her ire: “When we take food, dusts settle down on the food items and makes it impossible to consume. I constructed my house after taking loan of more than Rs 1.5 lakh under Indira Awaz Yojane. The amount of Rs 40,000 given by the government is insufficient to construct a house. It is barely one year and how can we leave everything and go all of a sudden?” she questioned. Sumithra Shetty said that she has sent her aged mother to the neighbouring place as she started suffering from severe breathing problems.

 

Medical Officer of Mudrangadi PHC Dr Jagadish S G informed that he comes across many asthma patients and people complaining of skin allergies. “The cases of severe cough, flumps, sputum, bio derma are on rise. We receive nearly 50 patients everyday, of which as many as 20 patients complain regarding the above health problems, which is due to the affect of dust and ash smoke,” he said.

GP opposes

Mudrangadi GP President Sunil Shetty said Gram Panchayath is completely against the project. The DC and other government officials are not showing any concern and our appeals have fallen on deaf ears. We have taken unanimous decision in GP against the project and have sent the same copy to DC and company officials. “If government fails to take measures, we are determined to protest in a strong way. We will take up intense protest with support of Karnataka Rajya Raita Sangha. We will form KRRS unit here in this area and launch our protest. Company officials have failed to keep up their promise of taking safer measures to dispose ash. They had assured that they would mix ash with water before disposing it off through pipelines,” he stated.

Nagarjuna Virodhi Horata Samithi President Vijay Kumar Hegde said that Udupi along with Hassan and Dakshina Kannada districts have planned to take up rigorous protest against the problems caused due to the ash pond. “We want immediate solution,” he demanded.
DHNS