Villages up against Padubidri Kasargod powerline corridor

Niddodi: This rich agricultural belt of Dakshina Kannada district had won many battles against the power infra lobbies in the past. But the one that have on their hands presently appears to be the biggest one so far. They are opposing the powerline corridor between Inna in Padubidri to Kasargod and further to Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. The struggle is now headed by Matrubhoomi Samrakshana Samithi of Udupi and Dakshina Kannada district.

The power corridor is being laid for 115 kilometres in Karnataka and Kerala states with a width of 46 meters between rich agricultural and plantation pastures between Inna in Udupi and Kasargod in Kerala. Further into Tamil Nadu will be longer and wider, which would destroy rich agriculture and plantation pastures, alleged Alphonse D’Souza, president of the Mathrubhoomi Samrakshana Samith. Presently, the work for the corridor has been stopped by the activists of the Samithi at a place called Niddodi, about 30 kilometres from Mangaluru city.

“The company assigned to lay the power lines and erect pylons has been owned by Sterlite, to evacuate power from the mega thermal power project at Padubidri on Karkala state highway. We have accessed the documents from the KPTCL, which is not in favour of this power corridor; we have appealed to the Deputy Commissioner of Dakshina Kannada to call for a public hearing and consultative meeting with the stakeholders and the people who would lose lands underneath the power corridor,” D’Souza told.

Chandrahas Shetty Inna, secretary of Udupi-Kasargod 400 KV power line Virodhi Horata Samithi of Udupi told “The power lines are being taken on one of the rich green belts of the region in three states, while the beginning point of the corridor at Inna in Udupi district has not been cleared for erection, We do not know how it could be allowed in Niddodi.”

As per the statistics collected by various organisations currently in the pitch against the power corridor, “over 15,000 agriculturists and planters of areca and coconut will be affected on the 115-kilometre-long corridor. There are efforts to subvert the unity of the farmers by the company by intimidation and alluring monetary offers,” D’Souza said.

It could be recalled here that the people of Niddodi village had effectively stalled establishing a power project in this area. They point out that already such a corridor was in place towards Hassan district, which has not been commissioned yet after several years of construction being completed, they alleged.