Udupi: Power shortage seems made govt. to bow to UPCL

By Snehalatha, Udupi
Bellevision Media Network

Udupi, 12 October 2011: With the shortage of power in the state, the government of Karnataka is now ready to give clearance for the commissioning of the 2nd unit of Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL). Chief Minister D.V. Sadananda Gowda himself has taken interest on this issue. The remarkable thing in this is that, just two months before Sadananda Gowda becoming the CM while he was the MP, he visited UPCL project site and had roared that the local people are seriously affected with the burning of coal and the company should immediately stop the production.
 
Then Sadananda Gowda became Chief Minister, the power plant did not stop its operation and the problems of the people were also never resolved. But the Chief Minister also has the responsibility to resolve the sudden power shortage in the state, so even though he knows that the people are facing problems from the 1st unit of UPCL, the government is giving the clearance to the 2nd unit, he said this in Hubli. This could be good news to those who are suffering from the shortage of power, but to those who are suffering from UPCL and opposing, it is a bad news.

 

 
Already the 1st unit of UPCL which is producing 600 megawatts power, has made the people’s and their domestic animal’s life miserable in the surrounding areas, from the tons of ash which is coming out and the lack of facility to cope with the gallons of salt water which is being pumped from sea into the plant to cool the boilers have destroyed the agricultural fields. Once this 2nd unit starts functioning upon commissioning, these miseries and losses of the people and their animals will be doubled.
 
The 2nd unit of UPCL was constructed and ready since one year, but the government had not given the clearance for the commissioning. But now the power shortage situation is such that, the government seems to have come to a decision that, even if the people of Ellur and other tens of villages in the surrounding area suffer from the coal ash and salt water, for the sake of providing power for the people of rest of the state, the power needs to be produced from the 2nd unit.
 
At present the 1st unit of UPCL is producing 600 megawatts power which is being supplied to Mescom and Bescom. This completes the 30% of the power supply demand. As the demand is increasing year after year, the 2nd unit has been a great relief to improve the power shortage in the state.
 
However, since the last 3 days the 1st unit has been shut down, which has been an additional blow to the state which is already reeling with the shortage of power. The Officers of the company are saying that the shutdown is for carrying out the annual maintenance work of the machineries. But the timing of this shutdown by the UPCL while there is already heavy shortage seems like they are trying to bend the iron while it is red hot. Under pressure of the power shortage, the government seems to have given the clearance having no other option.
 
Overall, it is true that the 1st unit of the UPCL has helped in resolving the shortage of power in the state to some extent and now in this inevitable situation if the 2nd unit is started, then the government can get rid-off its major headache. So, the Chief Minister, even though he himself had opposed the project of the 1st unit of UPCL at one stage, now he himself has come forward to give the clearance for the 2nd unit. This is the government’s duality and also the inevitability.