HASSAN: B. Shivaram, former Minister and MLA, has said he will oppose any move by the State Government's to shift the 4,000 MW mega power project from Tadadi in Karwar district to Kaushik in Hassan district.

Speaking to The Hindu here on Wednesday, Mr. Shivaram said that on Tuesday, Additional Chief Secretary Dilip Rau announced in Bangalore that following opposition by environmentalists and others, the Government was thinking of shifting the proposed thermal power project from Tadadi to Kaushik, 15 km from Hassan.

The place was suited for the Rs. 20,000-crore project as it is close to the Mangalore-Hassan-Bangalore railway line, which could be used to transport coal.

Kaushik is near the Hemavathi reservoir and hence there would be no dearth of water, he had said. There is more than 2000-acre dry land around Kaushik that could be utilised for the proposed project. The Centre will provide funds for the project and the State will provide land, he said.

Sufficient land

Mr. Shivaram said there was sufficient land for the project in Raichur where Raichur Thermal Power Station (RTPS) is located and in Kudathini near Bellary where Bellary Thermal Power Station (BTPS) is located.

If the project came up in Hassan it would cause environmental pollution and affect the health of the people, the Congress leader said.

Mr. Shivaram said in addition to this, Kaushik village would have to be shifted. He accused Hassan district in-charge Minister H.D. Revanna of trying to ruin Hassan district under the garb of development.

President of the Hassan district unit of Bharatiya Janata Party Navile Annappa asked if Hassan was gradually turning into a dustbin. If projects rejected by others were brought to Hassan, it would create an ecological imbalance, he said.

Environmentalist H.P. Mohan said that care should be taken to select the place for the project and efforts should be made to ensure that waste from the thermal power station did not flow into the river.

Since the project needed adequate water supply, the project site should be set up near a water source.

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