The Hindu : National / Elections 2004 : Dahanu: pollution, power and the polls

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Wednesday, Apr 21, 2004

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National - Elections 2004

Dahanu: pollution, power and the polls

Meena Menon

DAHANU, MAHARASHTRA

A 500 MW power plant is occupying centre stage in the Lok Sabha election to the Dahanu constituency. Reliance Energy's 500 MW thermal power plant — earlier run by the Bombay Suburban Electric Supply Ltd (BSES) — is in the eye of the storm raging through the predominantly tribal constituency.

The farmers here are demanding that the coal-based power plant switch to a cleaner fuel such as natural gas. The farmers, mostly fruit cultivators, allege that the fly ash and sulphur dioxide emissions from the power plant are poisoning the environment and threatening the century-old horticulture in the region, a charge that Reliance strongly denies.

Farmers have banded together under the Dahanu Parisar Bachao Samiti and the Kashtakari Sanghatana to spearhead the protest.

They are backed by the CPI (M), which is fielding Ramji Vartha from Dahanu.

"Reliance is not feel good," says the CPI (M)'s Thane district secretary, Suhas Samant. Farmers claim that they have noticed changes in horticulture since the plant was commissioned in 1996. There has been a 50 per cent decline in production, they say. In the last few months, people say they have seen a dense fog around the plant and noticed black dewdrops on the leaves. A study conducted by Maya Mahajan, an environment consultant, between February and March, 2004 revealed a 30-70 per cent decline in the chikoo fruit production over five years.

Vijay Mhatre, the Dahanu taluka vice-president of the Nationalist Congress Party (NCP), and member of the Dahanu Parisar Bachao Samiti, says, "For us, this is a major election issue. I have already raised it with the candidates who are contesting the Lok Sabha elections. There are about 22,000 hectares of farmland in Dahanu and our livelihood is being affected. We demand that Reliance use natural gas as soon as possible. "

On March 19, 2004, the Samiti made a representation to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) with 1,400 signatures in support of their demands. These included shutting down the plant till it switches to gas or the installation of a flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) plant to take care of the sulphur dioxide emissions.

Despite this, the renewal of consent for the plant which was to have come up on March 31, 2004, was cleared for five years on March 23 itself, without hearing the parties affected, says advocate Kerban Anklesaria, who represents the Samiti.

Dahanu taluka was notified as an eco-fragile area by a Central Government notification on June 20, 1991. Since then, industrial development has been restricted. However, the power plant was given clearance on June 13, 1990; the Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA), appointed by the Supreme Court, had recommended an FGD for the plant as early as 1999. sMs. Mahajan, says that apart from the chikoo crop, even farms close to the plant had been affected. "Analysis done at the Krishi Vigyan Kendra at Kosbad showed that the dew on the leaves was acidic. Leaves are covered with white dust up to a distance of four to five km," she adds.

Reliance Energy has denied the charges. "Our emission levels are far below those mandated by the MPCB and adequate measures are already in place to safeguard the environment. The allegation about leaves covered with ash and acidic dew is just hearsay. We have our own plantation of chikoo and coconut and no such thing has been observed." The company says that global tenders are being invited for the FGD. The majority of the 15.99 lakh voters in the Dahanu constituency are Adivasi.

The sitting MP, Chintaman Wanga of the BJP, who is in the fray again, says, "There must be some technical evidence to prove that the power plant is causing pollution. Only then can we demand it be shut down." Mr. Wanga and Damodar Shingda, the Congress-NCP candidate and four-time MP, have consistently opposed the Dahanu notification, but are more cautious when it comes to the power plant.

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