NEWS

A recent Study on the impact of Adani’s Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) has shown high levels of environmental pollution caused by violations

ABOUT THE REPORT

• State government entrusted the Environment Management and Policy Research Institute (EMPRI) to conduct an environmental impact study, as per the directions of the National Green Tribunal (NGT)
• Experts warned that the proposal to expand the plant by adding two 800 MW units will have adverse consequences
• The UPCL, built in 2003-04, had faced opposition for years before Adani Power took over the plant in 2015. When the new management received clearance to expand the plant capacity by 1400 MW in 2017, Janajagruti Samiti took the matter to the NGT
• Report included photographs of the untreated brackish water released into drainage carrying rainwater and crops covered in coal dust which seemed to corroborate the farmers’ complaint of reduced yield
• Results showed that the carrying the carrying capacity of the ambient atmosphere of sulfur dioxide (359 microgram per cubic metre) was exceeding the national standards (80 micro gram per cubic metre)
• Mass emission load of sulfur dioxide at 80.18 tonnes/per day was too high. was too high. The nitrogen oxide emissions at 27.5 tonnes was also high
• This is likely to have an adverse effect on human health and agricultural output
• Groundwater was tested at 10 locations and aluminum and manganese contamination was found at three places while lead was found to exceed the limit in the UPCL’s ash pond area
• Soil samples taken from 10 locations showed high levels of iron (5094 to 3.9 lakh mg/kg of dry soil), manganese (15 to 271)), zinc (5 to 114), chromium (19 to 92), copper (3.5 to 78)
• Study said the arsenic in UPCL’s fly ash and pond ash Coal and ash location sample exceed the limit
• Expansion of the capacity of the power plant is likely to have adverse implications from air pollution including dust, marine ecology, and groundwater and soil contamination from heavy metals
• Issues related to cattle reproduction problems, grievances of fishermen community and health issues of people require a long term study and recommended a detailed study on biodiversity considering the rapid change in land use were discussed

UDUPI POWER CORPORATION LIMITED

• 2 X 600 MW imported coal based power project
• Situated in the western coastal Karnataka
• First independent power project (IPP) using 100% imported coal as fuel in the country and was awarded the Gold Shield award for early completion of Thermal power project Unit-1 from Ministry of power, Government of India in FY 2010-11 and also the prestigious Golden Peacock Environment Management Award in FY 2014-15.
• Supplies 90% of the power it generates to the State of Karnataka and 10% to the State of Punjab