JOIN USEnergy Minister K S Eshwarappa speaking to media after reviewing the project implementation with Home Minister V S Acharya (who is in-charge of Udupi district), on Tuesday, said that nearly 62 per cent of the project work has been completed, and the first phase of the 600 mega watt capacity plant will be commissioned by February 2010. The entire 1,015 mw capacity project will be completed by 2012, he added.
The project which originally began as Nagarjuna Thermal Power Project was vehemently opposed by the local people, especially environmentalists fearing environmental pollution. Their main grouse was pollution caused to the environment by fly ash and contaminated water. Local fishermen had expressed fear that all fishes in Arabian sea would die if the contaminated is released from the plant.
Despite opposition, the project work commenced in 2005. Later, Lanco Infratech Limited bought the project from Nagarjuna and it was renamed as Udupi Thermal Power Project. As per the original plan, the project should have been completed in 2008.
Eshwarappa claimed that both the environmental issues have been solved. “There is great demand for fly ash as it is one of the raw materials used in manufacturing of cement. Fly ash will be collected using a tanker at the power generation plant. So the question of dumping fly ash does not arise,” he stated.
Similarly, contaminated water from the plant will be released only after treating it, he said.