Uppur thermal issue: Collector holds talks with fishermen

Meeting ends without a solution; another round to be held on August 22

Collector K Veera Raghava Rao holding talks with residents and fishermen from Morepannai, who are opposed to seawater intake and outfall project for Uppur Thermal power plant at Collectorate in Ramanathapuram on Friday. Tamil Nadu. Photo: handout_e_mail [with report] / The Hindu

After residents and fishermen of Morepannai, a coastal fishing hamlet near Uppur boycotted Independence Day celebrations and hoisted black flags, in protest against the proposal to draw seawater for the 1,600 MW Uppur Supercritical Thermal Power Plant, Collector K. Veera Raghava Rao held talks with them here on Friday in a bid to allay their apprehensions.

However, the meeting ended inconclusive as fishermen sought time to consult people in other villages. The Collector agreed to have another round of talks on August 22 and stop earth moving work for laying road in the sea to construct an elevated structure for laying pipelines till then.

Expressing apprehension that the ongoing pipeline laying project for intake and outfall of seawater would affect marine life in the region and pose a serious threat to their livelihood, fishermen urged the authorities to abandon the project and consider alternative way. They demanded halting of all work, both at Uppur and in the sea till a solution was found.

Explaining the importance of the 2x800 MW mega project, being implemented at a cost of ₹12,655 crore, Mr. Rao said the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) has launched the project after conducting public hearing in 2014 and obtaining necessary clearances from various agencies including Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC).

He said under the seawater intake and outfall project pipelines were being laid for up to 5 km at an elevated structure for seawater intake and up to 8 km for outfall without disturbing fishing activities.

Fishing vessels could pass between the spans freely and livelihood of fishermen would be fully protected.

On apprehensions that high temperature water would be released into the sea, which would be detrimental to fish, Mr. Rao said the temperature of water that would be released in the seawater would be just 0.5 degree or 0.75 degree above the normal temperature and this would not affect fish production or habitats. This was negligible, considering the 5 degree temperature variation between night and day. The outfall would be at different locations in the sea to minimise the impact, he added.