By Meera Bharadwaj
Early Friday morning, a blast occurred in the 370 MW gas-based power plant which is being constructed by Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd at Yelahanka in Bengaluru.
According to Police sources, some 15 personnel of the power plant were injured in a fire accident that occurred in the power plant. Expressing fears, both residents and environmentalists said the location of the plant in the midst of a residential area and a bird conservation reserve is a big danger while the ongoing construction works has added to the residents and ecological woes.
On Friday, residents of Doddaballapura Road, Yelahanka were woken up to a big blast sound emanating somewhere from the power plant area – causing fear and scare in the locality. Residents living in the vicinity of the plant are daily exposed to unbearable emissions of gas, sometimes in the day, sometimes in the night. This has already created a fear psychosis in the people living in this area since the construction of the plant started.
According to reports, the blast occurred following a gas leak when a turbine was being commissioned. The police said the fire accident occurred around 3 am and out of the 15 injured engineers, one person was seriously injured.
A RISKY SITUATION
The Heritage Estate Apartments shares a common compound wall with the power plant and they are up in arms against the location of the power plant. One resident Papiya said, “This is a disaster waiting to happen. In the last three-four days, we have been subjected to a lot of ear-splitting noises from the plant. And it’s no wonder a blast occurred this morning. Once the power plant becomes operational, it will become scary to live here. Some 3000 trees were felled for this power plant. Earlier, this area was so cool but now the temperature has risen with the tree felling and the ensuing heat, dust and pollution.”
Karnataka Biodiversity Board member and urban conservationist Vijay Nishanth said this power plant is so close to people, the road as also the lake which is a treasure house for various species. “Where was the need to convert the earlier diesel power plant to a gas-based power plant after the formation of a bird conservation reserve. This is a risky venture and the plant should have been relocated. The ongoing activities have already affected many bird species while any release of waste water to the lake, once the power plant becomes operational, will be detrimental to the lake ecosystem.”
LEGAL BATTLE
The Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Conservation Trust have been waging a legal battle against KPCL on the power plant as also on the issue of transfer of the Bird Conservation Reserve from state forest department to the BBMP in various courts. This power plant received environmental clearance from the State Environmental Impact Assessment authority (SEIAA) without taking into consideration the consequences on the Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Lake and its ecosystem, activists say.
And one of the trustees A Padmanabha adds, “We are fighting for a stay on this power plant in the National Green Tribunal. And we hope the tribunal takes cognisance of the blast that occurred on Friday. With the power plant located just next to the Lake, it has caused havoc with the lake ecosystem, the migratory birds and the long-term environmental degradation cannot be imagined.”
BIRD RESERVE’S PLIGHT
The Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Lakes were declared as a Bird Conservation Reserve on 29.4.2015. The entire area is an eco-sensitive region and mainly covered by forest vegetation. The water of the lakes gets replenished every year by rain water which comes and joins the same through well defined channels (rajakaluves). These water channels are now filled with concrete due to construction. They were the main source of water for the lakes. Unfortunately, the wall of the power plant is built against the lake bunds, thus preventing the flow of water to the lakes. Even as the construction of the power plant continues, there is unknown discharge of froth from the plant.
According to Advocate on Record, Abdul Azeem Kalebudde for the Trust and Heritage Estate, the KPCL by suppressing the fact that the lakes were declared as Bird Conservation Reserve under the Wildlife Protection Act, has obtained environmental clearance from the SEIAA. This ‘Category A’ project falls within 10 km radius of a protected area and the permission granted by them is void and illegal as only MoEF&CC can grant clearance.
CONTINUING DELAYS
Although the petition filed by Trust was dismissed by Karnataka High Court, later the Supreme Court directed the Trust to approach the NGT on the merits of the case. Presently, the matter is with NGT, Chennai, however, the case has been delayed inordinately with KPCL seeking frivolous adjournments and moving applications before the apex court for some clarifications.
Presently, the NGT, Chennai in its order dated 19.8.2020 has constituted a Joint Committee comprising officers of the Regional office, MoEF, Bengaluru, SEIAA, state forest department and CPCB to submit a report whether there is any possibility of environmental degradation likely to be caused on account of establishment of the power plant in the disputed area and any violations committed during construction against the terms and conditions of the environmental clearance and any impact of the power plant on the Yelahanka-Puttenahalli Lake and Bird Sanctuary and if caused, suggest remedial measures for restoration of damage.
This report is eagerly awaited and the NGT gave its order based on an OA filed by Heritage Estate Apartment Owners Association.
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