The Committee for Determination of Terms of Reference (CDToF) under the Central Environment and Forest Department has turned down the application of Bhoruka Power Corporation Ltd (BPCL) to set up a thermal power plant at Halga village beside Hanakon in Karwar taluk in Uttara Kannada district.
BPCL’s application was placed before the CDToF for undertaking environment impact assessment (EIA) study as per provisions of the EIA notification 2006. BPCL gave a presentation and provided information saying that the proposal was for setting up a 2x150 coal-based thermal power plant at Halga. It said, the project would be about 5 km from the power plant of Ind-Bharat which would use imported coal.
BPCL had in its representation admitted that the Cotigoa Wildlife Sanctuary was only 5.4 km from the plant boundary while Anashi National Park was 12.8 km away and Arabian Sea just 13.6 km from the plant site.
Hanakon Ushansthavara Virodhi Samiti (the committee opposing the Hanakon thermal power plant) spokespersons said these points went against the BPCL and the permission was denied. The CDToF advised BPCL to look for alternative sites for the project. On the decision of CDToF, the company said same rule should be applied to the Ind-Bharat thermal power plant at Hanakon and sought cancellation of permission granted to it. It alleged that Ind-Bharat had obtained permission and environment clearance by misrepresenting the facts.
Meanwhile, one Karawali Development and Environment Lovers’ Association (KDELA) has come out strongly against those opposing the Hanakon Thermal Power plant. KDELA president Prakash Naik took serious objection to the agitators’ roping in environmentalist Medha Patkar for their agitation.
Naik said, Ind-Bharat, which is setting up the thermal power plant at Hanakon had made it clear it would not use water from the Kali River for production of power and use environment-friendly and modern technology.
“The company has promised that it will develop some 75 acres into a green belt,” he pointed out. He said such agitations were detrimental to the industrial development of the region and hampered economic growth.
