Karnataka   

‘Protest should remain people’s movement’

MYSORE: Veteran Gandhian and freedom fighter H.S. Doreswamy has expressed apprehension over the possibility of politicians taking control of the agitation against the proposed coal-fired thermal power plant at Chamalapura.

Addressing a two-day camp held at Malleshwarabetta to create public awareness and get local involvement in the ongoing agitation, Mr. Doreswamy said that the movement should remain a people’s movement.

He said elected representatives should only extend outside support. If like-minded elected representatives were interested they could form a sub-committee and extend outside support, he added.

The camp organised by the committee against the thermal project, will highlight the dangers of the proposed project which has been set into motion by the State Government.

The participants attending the camp were apprised of its fallouts and resource persons, including Manu of Mysore Amateur Naturalists, highlighted the possible negative impact on the people around Chamalapura and Mysore.

It was pointed out that the project required about 1.76 million tonnes of coal a year and the effluents and carbon dioxide generated would not only pollute the air but would also pose a danger to the flora and fauna, including the entire catchment area of Kabini.

The agitation, which was launched more than four months ago, is proposed to be intensified following conflicting statements by the authorities who said that the “project was not on”, while issuing statements that Chamalapura was one of the three major projects being taken up. The other two are at Jewargi and Ghataprabha.

The 1,000 MW power project entails land acquisition to the tune of nearly 3,000 acres and will displace more than 20,000 people. In view of the Government’s ambivalence, the local committee spearheading the agitation has decided to train youngsters and constitute cadres to spread the message in rural areas.

Printer friendly page  
Send this article to Friends by E-Mail

Stories in this Section

Bangalore IT show takes off today
‘Lopsided governance’
Jaffarwadi shows the way
Water supply
A word of caution to women
Call for national debate on higher education
Neglected
Use Internet labs, multi-disciplinary approach for education, says expert
Junior engineer trapped in Gulbarga
CBT is a shambles
‘Protest should remain people’s movement’

Copyright © 2007, The Hindu. Republication or redissemination of the contents of this screen are expressly prohibited without the written consent of The Hindu