PUBLIC
HEARING ON
KARAIPIDAGAI
POWER PROJECT:2009
The Collector
of Nagapattinam District 30.10.2K9
Officials of
Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board.
Respected Representatives of the
Government of Tamilnadu
On the eve of
the public hearing on the proposed1820 MW Coal Based Power Plant by M/s. Tridem
Port and Power Co. Ltd., & 150 MW Coal Based Power Plant by M/s. Nagapattinam
Energy Pvt. Ltd,
we are submitting our views to oppose the coal based thermal power plants.
We would like to bring to your notice
that within Union Cabinet there is difference of opinion which came to public
light after The Hindu, a daily carried out the following news:
▼ The Hindu, English daily reported on
July 5 th of 2009 that Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh has
written to Power Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde seeking to put an end to laying
of foundation stones for projects without proper and formal clearances and
advising all state power PSUs like National Thermal Power Corporation, National
Hydro Power Corporation , Sutlej Jal Vidyut Nigam and North Eastern Electric
Power Corporation to show greater sensitivity to environmental concerns at the
highest level.
Under such situation we would urge the
Nagapattinam District Administration and Tamil nadu Government to have a
re-think on all coal based thermal power projects.
▼
Recent news from our neighbor China as reported in China Daily dated
October 28 th of 2009 states that Chinese Environment ministry had suspended or
rejected 29 applications of new construction in petrochemical, steel-making and
electricity-generating industries with a total investment of 146.7 billion yuan
(US$21.5 billion).Chinese government has promised that its economic stimulus
plan would not compromise anti-pollution efforts and policies would not be
loosened to allow more projects to pass environmental examinations.
Environmental Protection Minister Zhou Shengxian said the government would
abide by strict environmental standards when evaluating new projects.
Unfortunately Tamilnadu is not
observing strict environmental standards. It craves for power at all costs.
►Tamilnadu has 4 major thermal power
plants producing 2970 MW of power. The Hindu, daily dated 6 th February 2009
carries a confession by the Chairman of Tamilnadu Pollution Control Board.
Mr.R.Balakrishnan admits that thermal power plants in coastal areas of the
state are not meeting pollution control standards. If truth could come out of
Chairman’s mouth, our voices in protesting power plants stands justified by
international, national and regional yardsticks.
► Thermal Power Plant in Tuticurin, a
joint venture between Neyveli Lignite Corporation 89% and Tamilnadu Electricity
Board with 11% stake is a 4000 crore project aiming to generate 1000 MW. Bharat
Heavy Electricals Limited and Tamilnadu Electricity Board have joined together
to start 1600 MW power project at a cost of Rs.8700 crore in Tuticurin
District.
The coal from Neyveli has to be
carried by congested roads to Tuticurion. It can be argued that it goes within
our state from one part to other. Also by sea route coal may get transported.
One can say within the source of raw material i.e. our state power project
comes up.
Even this could be assimilated for
argument sake but not bringing 4.6 million tons of coal annually from Orissa to
Ennore port in order to enable Tamilnadu Energy Company, a joint venture
between National Thermal Power Corporation and Tamilnadu Electricity Board to
generate 1000 MW at Vallur in Tiruvallore District of Tamilnadu. The cost is
4500 crores.
█There is a national policy to set up
power plants near mine heads, where coal is mined. Under such policy instead of
bringing coal from Orissa to Ennore, Tamilnadu could have planned to set up
power plant in Orissa and pass on power to national grid and then draw equal
quantum here through national grid. By this way Tamilnadu could have had power
as well as avoided unnecessary construction of new harbors and unnecessary
pollution of our soil.
Mind boggling statistics reveals that
Ashok Leyland Project, First Corp Petrochem project, UTL Utility Systems
project, Essar Power, GMR Power, Trichy Power Project and Coal and Oil Company
of Dubai’s
project which have planned to produce 1000 MW power each could be avoided if
the policy to set power projects at mine head is observed. After all even if
power projects are set up same Orissa and Bihar labour have to be brought to
work here, since all industries of Tamilnadu and Puducherry uniformly follow a
policy to engage only Orissa and Bihar labour and never to disturb local labour
from watching free television and eating Rs 1 per kg rice given by noble leader
Dr.Kalaignar.
Empee Power and Infrastructure Ltd aim
generation of 1200 MW. A company from Spain aims 2000 MW. Then comes the
4000 MW power project by National Thermal Power Corporation near Thirukuvalai,
Chief Minister Dr.Kalaignar’s birth place. Central University
coming in his home district is welcome but not polluting industries. The rice
bowl of Tamilnadu should have agro-based industries and should promote
agriculture and fisheries, the traditional people pursuing these professions
for centuries or millennium. Similarly 2000 MW power project near Cheyyur also
will erase the ecology of Kaluveli tank; a place of haven for migratory birds,
and the tourism potential of ECR road will have to be wiped out to dump fly ash
everywhere, congesting roads with coal transport.
We urge the Tamilnadu Government to
re-think its energy policy. The Memorandum of Understanding signed with
Tri-Sakthi Energy P Ltd for 525 MW of power. India Power project, SPIC Energy
Private Limited, Chennai Power Company etc for 1000 MW each and Cuddalore
Thermal Power Project to generate 1320 MW too are coal based. Reliance plans
3000 MW power project. All these projects are coal based environmental hazards.
☼☼►Dravida Peravai lauds only
2 initiatives of Tamil Nadu Power Minister. The Memorandum of Understanding
signed with an American firm for generating sea solar power is welcome. The
Project that comes in Udangudi of Tuticurin District to generate 100 MW of
Solar Thermal Power is welcome. As on January 31st of 2009 out of
total national production of 9756 MW of wind energy Tamilnadu produces 42
percent and this is a good development. We whole heartedly welcome these solar,
wind, and ocean thermal power projects. But we oppose the Coal based Thermal
Power projects that are coming up in Nagapattinam Districts, for which this
public enquiry is called for.
►National Thermal Power Corporation of
India
is pumping 500 million US dollars in a joint venture with Ceylon Electricity
Board to set up a power project at Sampur in Srilanka. India that could not ensure safety sail for
Indian fishermen in Bay of Bengal more particularly in Gulf of Mannar and Pak Straits
is going to ferry coal to Srilanka from Orissa. From Anuradhapura
in Srilanka to Thalaimannar of Tamilnadu both India and Srilanka had planned
under sea link to transmit power at a cost of Rs 2200 crore. India that for
30 years had not linked its rivers to help Indian farmers, but now wants to
link Srilanka and Tamilnadu by under sea link to bring power to boost the
growth of all polluting industries in Tamil soil. If India
had annexed Tamil areas of Srilanka and merged North and East Districts of
Srilanka with Tamilnadu and created a Tamilnadu State
within Indian Union on both sides of Pak Straits, then such link between Tamil
states may be welcomed but not the current project.
► Dravida Peravai mooted an idea when
the undersigned was Trustee in Tuticurin Port Trust, and took up with Planning
Commission and through then Defence Minister Comrade George Fernandes apprised
then Indian Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on the need to create a
National Seaway Authority like National Highways. Every state government has
minor and intermediary ports under its control but they are idle monuments with
no revenue generation with the exception of Gujarat’s
minor ports. Hence to interlink these 138 minor and intermediary ports for
passenger and cargo traffic, creation of such authority is must, we suggested.
Accepting that during his visit to Kanyakumari, then Prime Minister announced
Sagar Mala scheme for this purpose, which is yet to take off. We now also urge
Indian Government and Tamilnadu Government to go for reviving that idea, to use
existing harbors for passenger and cargo traffic, thereby creating jobs for
educated fishermen coming out of maritime university. It will ease traffic
congestion in roads. Unfortunately the regular hidden incomes through frequent
laying of roads will be the only loss to the officials and political bosses.
Instead of using Sagar mala scheme to purposefully use existing harbours there
seems to be a craze to allow harbours under private only to ferry coal to coal
based power plants. This ridiculous policy causes the new creation of Ports in
Nagapattinam District which we oppose.
▼Tamilnadu must give clearance to
biomass power plants. Times of India
dated 29 th October 2009 states that 9 companies have approached Tamilnadu
Energy Development Agency for permissions to start biomass power plants.
Tamilnadu Electricity Board must give clearance for these 9 companies to
generate 487 MW of power. The speed with which clearances came for coal based
power projects is lacking here, that too for small quantum of power, which can
be termed as tokenism too TN Government lacks political will. The biomass
energy produced currently is 111 MW writes Vivek Narayanan in Times of India.
Hence according clearances for clean energy is must in days when we sing
lullabies on climate change.
▼If India has to reduce its carbon
emissions; it would mean a major reorientation of her energy strategy,
especially if that warranted a shift from its current coal-based to an oil and
gas based energy system. Murthy, Panda and Parikh (2000) examined the consequences
of alternative CO2 emission reduction strategies on economic development and,
in particular, the implications for the poor by empirically implementing an
economy-wide model across India
over a 35-year time horizon. A multi-sectoral, inter-temporal model is used for
this purpose. The model has specific technological alternatives and endogenous
income distribution with dynamic behavior; it covers the whole economy in an
integrated top-down-bottom-up model. Such alternative thinking must dawn on Tamilnadu
Government.
▼International Seabed Authority under
the auspices of United Nations has earmarked 1,50,000 square kilometers of sea
bed in Indian Ocean for mining of cobalt, nickel , copper etc. We are not aware
whether any such area is earmarked in Bay of Bengal.
If the pursuit to mine sea-bed begins apart from natural gas to minerals, the
traditional living sources of fishermen will be totally robbed from them. Even
after Exclusive Economic Zones have been earmarked under International Law of
Seas by United Nations, the fishermen of India particularly Tamil fishermen
could not tap the fish wealth in their countries exclusive zones. Foreign
fishing vessels creep in, sneak in, and poach in our zones, and fishermen with
catamarans cannot compete. Fish wealth is near their eyes yet their country
allows sharks from other nations to rob that instead of arming Indian fishermen
with finances and schemes to make a better livelihood. The policy to uproot
people from their traditional professions is suicidal, cynical, unethical and
anti-national. Yet hand in glove with corporate world that greases their palms
for petty gains and better lives today, our political masters are ruining
traditional fishermen and agriculturalists depriving them a decent livelihood,
thus earning a historical curse on them for their historical blunder.
▼ In precious stone rich Jharkand and
Orissa, mining of this wealth which remained in the bowels of earth over which
indigenous tribal peoples lived for millions of years is bartered to corporate
world. Dravida Peravai had incorporated in its party manifesto that if a dam is
constructed or project is set up uprooting people, such uprooted people and all
villagers over which these projects come up must be made share holders in the
projects that come up. Share the profits with the displaced people, compensate
permanently elevating the lives of the deprived than throwing paltry pittance
to political class, companies must be told. This includes the harbour and power
project that comes up in Nagapattinam District. If a power project comes in
Chief Ministers home village, all its villagers must be made share holders in
that projects, all the jobs must be given to every educated youth forbidding
total hiring of outsiders, and if talent is needed it should be only from
Tamilnadu. No contracts labour system, because Chief Minister’s home village
must emulate a national model for development. Let Tamilnadu plan projects that
will not aggravate our climate change. Let Tamilnadu go for clean technologies to
generate power like Sweden.
If our Chief Minister cannot make Tamilnadu a Sweden
in energy, a cleaner Singapore
in environment, then no one else in India can envisage and transform
people’s lives.
With Regards
Yours fraternally
N.Nandhivarman
General Secretary Dravida Peravai
