Ghataprabha thermal power plant project dropped

DH News Service, Mysore:
According to sources, the government had yielded to pressure from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh governments and is not going ahead with the 1000MW project.

The Karnataka Government has dropped coal-based Ghataprabha thermal power plant in Belgaum district as it has called for “global invitation for request for qualification” for only Chamalapura in Mysore district and Jewargi in Gulbarga district.

According to sources, the government had yielded to pressure from Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh governments and is not going ahead with the 1000MW project. The two neighbouring states are said to have objected to the project saying that it would pollute the Krishna river.

The invitation for two 1000 MW plants in Jewargi and Chamalapura were invited on August 8.

However, the government seems to have ignored the protests for the Chamalapur project. No public hearing has been held for the project.

In its July 18 order, the Ministry of Water Resources has given approval in principle for the annual use of 1.56 tmc water for each plant.

As per the invitation, the last date to obtain application is September 7 and to submit September 14. It has also been decided to hold a meeting on September 21 and before October 6, the responses will be given and on October 27, list of bidders will be announced.

Karnataka Industrial Areas Development Board has been entrusted with the responsibility of acquiring land already identified for the plants in Chamalapura and Jewargi.

Independent bodies will be formed to get permission from the Department of Environment and to study the feasibility of the projects, according to the invitation.

It also says that the firms will have to give government 85 per cent of power generated in these plants and the projects should be completed in 48 months.

Suicide threat
The farmers in and around Chamalapur have protested the proposed plant.

If the government continues with the project, the farmers have threatened to commit mass suicide.

They have also planned to seek Tamil Nadu’s support as the Kabini and Cauvery rivers will be polluted if the plant is set up in Chamalapura.

(http://www.deccanherald.com/Content/Aug172007/state2007081719649.asp)