J. Krishna Palemar, Minister for Environment, Ecology, Ports, Fisheries, Inland Water Transport and Science and Technology, said on Friday that he would visit the thermal power plant of Udupi Power Corporation Limited along with scientific officers shortly to look into issues pertaining to environment.
Replying to questions by presspersons after attending a function to lay the foundation stone for a fire station building at Pandeshwar, the Minister said that the company had been served with a notice on issues pertaining to damage to environment. Its authorities were working on taking corrective steps. They should be given some time to adopt corrective steps.
He said that it was not wise to close down the plant as the State needed electricity.
To a question on the findings by a team of doctors from the Indian Medical Association, the Minister said that government scientists would visit the plant and surrounding areas and submit a report.
The Minister claimed that he had concern for environment protection in the coastal belt which was his native place.
Mr. Palemar said that the Government was thinking of developing Netrani Gudda, an island near Karwar, as a biodiversity village.
He said the Mangalore City Corporation had filed a petition before the Supreme Court seeking permission to use water from the Lakhya dam in Kudremukh. The civic body could get two MGD of water from the dam, he added.
