Report flags risks at Tata Mundra UMPP

Thu, Jul 18 2013

New Delhi: Coal dust and fly ash generated by the Tata Mundra ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Kutch, Gujarat, is putting the lives of local people and biodiversity in the area at risk, said a report released on Thursday by Machimaar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan, a local struggle of fishworkers against power projects in the Mundra coast.

"An increase of 20% of severe respiratory diseases is reported among children in the villages near to Tata Mundra power project in Gujarat," it said.

"One of the major increases in the adverse impacts of the full operation of CGPL (Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd, Tata Power's wholly owned subsidiary) is the coal dust invading houses all around the plant. Coal dust has engulfed all walks of life, whether food, drinking water or even their houses," said The Increasing Human Cost of Coal Power report, a supplementary to the Real Cost of Power report.

The Real Cost of Power report was released in June 2012 after an independent fact-finding team concluded its investigations. Headed by S.N. Bhargava, former chief justice of the Sikkim high court, the report had found that "the project has disproportionately high social, environmental, and economic costs."

"The Social Impact Assessment and Environmental Impact Assessment are misleading and erroneous, having excluded a large number of communities whose loss of livelihood was overlooked. Cumulative impact studies required to understand the overall impacts were not done," it had said in its conclusion.

The impact noted by the fact-finding team was at a time when only one unit of the 4,000 megawatts (MW) plant was operational, said activist Soumya Dutta. "Today, since all units of the project are on stream, the impacts are manifold and no agency, either of the governments or of the financial institutions, are monitoring it and people and the environment is at high risk," he added.

A statement issued by the company said, "Tata Power recognizes that sustainability of its operations is closely linked to the sustainable future of the local ecology and community. Strengthening our commitment towards a sustainable future, CGPL ensures continuing our engagement with all communities—including sharing of best practices, taking cognizance of the larger reality and ensuring a balanced view to multiple stakeholders' interests."