'Power plants will choke Vidarbha development'

Aparna Nair, TNN | Dec 16, 2011, 12.50AM IST NAGPUR: Tiger mascots were prominently displayed as green organisations came together on Thursday to protest the large number of thermal power plants coming up in Vidarbha that would further degrade the environment of the region. Their main demand included the cancelling permissions to 49 power plants slated to come up in Vidarbha. "What is the need of these when we are already self-sufficient in power and exporting energy," asked R B Goenka, convenor Vidarbha Environment Action Group (VEAG). He said that such a large number of thermal plants would affect environment drastically. "The water table will further lower. Water and air pollution will rise drastically. In satellite images you cannot see vegetation in 10 km radius of power plants because of harmful effects," he said. Greenpeace also supported this agitation held near Hislop College through its Junglistan campaign. "Forest around Tadoba are already degrading due to the opencast mines and the power plants. We are questioning the ministry on the need of so many plants in a small region," said Preethi Herman, campaigner, Greenpeace. These power plants may prove to be the doom for Nagpur's development. Paramjit Ahuja, founder member, VEAG said, "In future, each country will have limits on carbon emission. Thus, every region will have its quota. Because of the large number of thermal power plants in the area, the carbon emissions will already be high, prompting the government to stop industrialization in the region." Sudhir Paliwal of VEAG said that the expansion of the Koradi power plant is another matter of concern. "Coal in our country is radioactive and contains heavy metals like mercury. So even after burning, the contamination remains in the ash which is not disposed of properly. Government needs to be conscious about the radioactivity and finalise its acceptable level in coal," he said. Clearly Vidarbha is being made sacrificial goat for other region's development. "These plants are not even going to generate much employment. Parts of the Nagpur metro regions are being demanded for mining. Then how is the city going to be developed," asks Pradeep Behere, president, Srushti Paryavaran Mandal. Vrushali Shrirang of Green Vigil said that quest for sustainable development was the need and resources should be used to meet demand and not to produce surplus. Alternative actions possible The activists said that they were not against development. In order to meet power demands, they suggested alternative ways that would have lower environmental impact and would not be biased against some region's interests. 1. Power plants should be set up where there is requirement of power or near places having coal reserves 2. Go in for 100 MW plants that use air cooling. Thus water used for cooling could be saved 3. Set up underground transmission cables 4. Set up infrastructure corridors http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/nagpur/Power-plants-will-choke-Vidarbha-development/articleshow/11125091.cms