Transportation of coal by trains, ash by trucks and use of sea water illegal'

[email protected] (CD Network)
March 17, 2011

UPCL

Udupi, March 17: Ministry of Environment and Forest, New Delhi has denied to grant the amendment to the environment clearance to Udupi Power Corporation to transport coal by railway, ash by trucks and the use of sea water. This means transportation of coal by trains, ash by trucks and the use of sea water for the UPCL project is totally illegal.

Executive President of Jana Jagruthi Samithi Nandikur Balakrishna Shetty in a press release said that during the end of last year the UPCL approached the Ministry for the amendment to the Environment Clearance dated 20th March 1997 although it has been already using Konkan Railway for transportation of coal from NMPT to project site, trucks for transportation of ash from the plant to Santhur dumping area and sea water for cooling and ash mixing purposes without authority since early 2010.

The Environmental Clearance stipulates transportation of coal by closed conveyor system with dust suppression mechanism, transportation of ash by pneumatic system through pipelines to the dumping area and desalinated water for the plant, he said.

Pneumatic technology is nothing new and UPCL, which is publicly boasting of state of the art technology in the plant should not have adapted the cheaper and environmentally damaging method.

The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry in its 15th Meeting on Jan 10 this year had recommended the amendment without considering all the facts or site visit. The Samithi had raised strong objection to the Chairman of the Committee

VP Raja to review its recommendation. The Samithi reminded EAC that the Ministry had already carried out the impact assessment of transportation of coal by trains and had even filed an affidavit before the Honorable High Court of Karnataka in the case of Maneka Gandhi and Janajagrithi Samithi v/s Congentrix in Feb 1997 stating that after considering the environmental implications it had stipulated closed conveyor for transportation of coal from harbor to the project site and ash from the plant to the dumping area.

The Samithi also reminded the Ministry of the soil vulnerability in the area and potential contamination of the surface as well as the underground water resources and the consequent threat to human health and to crop due to dumping of fly ash and use of sea water by the project.

Upon receiving the objection by the Samithi, the EAC decided to withheld the recommendation. The EAC meeting held on Mar 14 and 15 refrained from granting the amendment.

It is absolutely clear that UPCL has been violating the terms of the Environmental Clearance. “The Ministry of Environment & Forest should seriously consider shutting down the plant permanently and invoke Public Liability Insurance Act for compensating to all those affected by pollution”, said Samithi President Balakrishna Shetty. He urged the Konkan Railway to stop transporting the coal by its goods trains in the absence of the amendment and the Chairman of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board as well as the District authorities to prevent the use of trucks for ash dumping and the pumping of the sea water.


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News Network
December 5,2025

Mangaluru: In a significant step to curb online hate and intimidation, Mangaluru City Police have registered a suo motu case against multiple Instagram accounts accused of circulating alleged provocative and threatening content.

While monitoring social media activity on Tuesday, Kankanady Town PSI Anitha Nikkam identified the Instagram handle ‘team_targetttt_900’ for posting a hate message alongside images of lethal weapons. Another account, ‘team_nagara_900’, allegedly shared a threatening post targeting activist Bharath Kumdelu, tagging additional pages such as KARAVALI-OFFICIAL.

Several other accounts — including ‘immu_bhai.fan’, ‘target_boy_900’, ‘kings_of_manglore’, ‘team_target_boys.900’, ‘arshad_mangalore’, ‘target_ka19_ullal’, ‘team_target__’, ‘troll_tigersz_900’, ‘tr_group_900’, and ‘team_target_900’ — are also under scrutiny for spreading similar inflammatory material, police said.

Authorities have urged citizens, especially young social media users, to report suspicious pages and avoid engaging with groups that glorify violence or threaten individuals. Online hate can quickly escalate into real-world harm, and police stress that sharing or promoting such content can attract legal consequences.

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News Network
November 30,2025

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Mangaluru, Nov 30: A 22-year-old college student succumbed to her injuries at a private hospital in Mangaluru today, days after she was hit by a goods tempo while crossing a road in Padubidri.

The deceased has been identified as Preksha, a resident of Nadsalu Billitota in Padubidri. The fatal incident occurred as Preksha, who was returning home after completing her examination, attempted to cross the service road towards Mangaluru. She was struck by a goods tempo approaching from the Udupi side, causing her to fall and sustain a severe head injury.

Prompt action from local residents ensured she received immediate first aid before being rushed to a hospital in Mangaluru for specialised treatment. Despite medical efforts, she passed away while undergoing care.

Preksha was a student at Karavali College, Vamanjoor on the outskirts of Mangaluru city. The tragedy is compounded by the fact that she belonged to a financially vulnerable family, having previously lost her father. She is survived by her mother and brother.

A case related to the accident has been registered at the Padubidri police station, and an investigation is underway to determine the exact circumstances that led to the collision. The incident highlights the growing concerns over road safety, particularly on busy service roads, and serves as a tragic reminder of the human cost of traffic accidents.

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News Network
December 1,2025

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Udupi, Dec 1: A horrific case of alleged rape has unfolded in Udupi, where a worker from a Hindutva organisation, previously arrested and released on bail for harassing a young woman, is now accused of waylaying and sexually assaulting her.

The arrested individual has been identified as Pradeep Poojary (26), a member of the Hindu Jagarana Vedike's Nairkode unit in Perdur.

Poojary had allegedly been relentlessly harassing the young woman, pressuring her to marry him. When she bravely stood up to him and refused his demands, she filed a formal complaint at the Hiriyadka police station. He was subsequently arrested in that initial harassment case but was later granted bail.

According to police reports, driven by the same malicious grudge, Poojary allegedly intercepted the woman again on November 29. While she was walking through a deserted area, the accused is claimed to have threatened her by grabbing her neck. When she again refused to marry him, he allegedly proceeded to rape her.

The survivor immediately informed her family about the traumatic assault. Following this, her parents lodged a complaint at the Udupi women’s police station.

Police arrested Poojary again and produced him before the court. He has since been remanded to judicial custody.

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