Protect ecology from power station or face stir: Seer

Pejawar seer Vishweshateertha Swami warned on Wednesday that an agitation would be launched if the government did not take suitable action to protect the environment in the light of an experts’ panel suggesting that the Udupi Thermal Power Station was causing harm to ecology.

Addressing a press conference here, the seer said, “We had formed a committee to go into the ill-effects of the power plant on the environment and on people’s lives. The committee report says the power plant has caused harm to the eco-system, contaminated drinking water, caused adverse effect on agriculture, besides resulting in health problems for the people.”

The pontiff said the report was submitted to the chief minister two days ago and that the latter had promised to take suitable action after looking into the issue.

He said if the government failed to act, an agitation would be launched along with environmentalists, activists and the local people. The government had also set up a committee to assess the damage to the environment caused by the power station. But, that committee was yet to submit a report, the seer said.

Noting that he had no objection to ‘made snana’ being banned, he said it was enough if other rituals were conducted regularly. He would hold a discussion with people in Subramanya in this regard on May 10. The Paryaya Mutt had to take a decision on banning ‘made snana’ in the Udupi Krishna Mutt, he added. He said his Mutt would provide fodder to livestock in drought-hit places like Pavagad and Madhugiri.