District administration stops work on high-tension wire

The Kodagu district administration has halted the work on high-tension wire, in the backdrop of High Court’s direction to the State government to review all those projects that come within Elephant Corridor, on Sunday.

The 400-kv high-tension wire from Mysore-Kozhikode will be a part of Kudankulam nuclear power project. The officials were getting ready to take up the work at Lingapura on the border in Virajpet taluk, when the DC order reached them.

Court order

The High Court had filed suo motu case pertaining to rift between humanbeings-elephants way back in 2008. The court had given its verdict on October 8, after the verification. The verdict had directed the State government to conserve elephant corridor and review the work that will be taken up in and around the corridor.

The Coorg Wildlife Society, Kaveri Sene and other like minded organisations which have been opposing the proposed high-tension wire brought the court direction to the notice of the district administration and alerted the administration that it would amount to contempt of court, if the work was initiated.

The State government will have to take a decision after studying the pros and cons of the project.

Opposition

Coorg Wild Life Association President  Col (retd) C P Muthanna said “felling of trees will amount to destruction of environment. The route can be changed or the already laid 210 kv line at Piriyapattana should be upgraded to 400-kv line.

“If the authorities fail to change the route, then we will approach the court,”  said Kaveri Sene convenor Ravi Changappa.

In the backdrop of protest by various organisations, the authorities had beefed up security in and around the project site.

What is the project?

The proposed project is taken up by the Power Grid Corporation of India. Once the work on wheeling power from Kudankulam is complete, then Karnataka will get 520 MW and Kerala—260 MW. The 155 km work has been completed in Mysore, Ilavala in Karnataka and from Kozhikode to Kutta.

The line will pass through 55 kms in Kodagu district, of which, 4.45 km is forest area and the rest is owned by private individuals.

As many as 2,100 trees will have to be felled for the purpose.