The fact-finding committee of Union ministry of fore-sts and environment visited the controversial site for the thermal power plant at Hanakona village in Uttara Kannada district on Thursday. The team arrived in Hanakona on Thursday afternoon and studied the place.
The members of the organisation opposing the Hanakona thermal plant explained to the team the hazards that would be caused to the environment if the plant was set up. They said the Ind-Bharat Company had felled Kandla trees in the region without obtaining permission from the appropriate authorities and informed that the forest department had slapped a penalty of Rs 2 lakh on the company. The samiti’s members also brought to the notice of the team that the proposed site was near river Kali and as such posed danger to the river too. It was pointed out that the site is near Anashi Tiger Sanctuary and Kotegaon reserved forest.
Balraj, who is heading the ministry’s committee on the impact of thermal power plant, said, his team would submit a report to the ministry within a month. The officials of Ind-Bharat Company showed the team the area acquired by them for setting up the plant.