UPCL better than Raichur Thermal Power Station: V S Acharya

UPCL better than Raichur Thermal Power Station: V S Acharya

Mangaloretoday News Network

Mangalore, March 21: Are we in a position to lose a mega amount of 12 million units of power generated by UPCL at a time when we are facing acute shortage of electricity? Posing the above question, Higher Education and Udupi District-in-charge Minister Dr V S Acharya defended the functioning of UPCL and called the coal based thermal power generation as the only option available at present.

Dr Acharya strongly defended the UPCL, by stating that there is no other alternative method of electricity generation except the thermal power project.

“Power is generated by burning the coal across the world. I do not understand the reason behind the people considering coal burning as a sin. When we cannot afford to produce enough electricity by hydro and nuclear power projects, what is wrong is resorting to coal based thermal power project?” he questioned.

Placing forth two options, he asked whether the people are ready to face power cuts without any hue and cry or prefer to get enough power generated by UPCL.

Unit II to be commissioned

Currently, 600 MW power is generated in Unit 1 and is supplied to Karnataka State and the Unit II will be commissioned within one and a half months, he informed. Comparing Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) to Raichur Thermal Ppower Station (RTPS) of Raichur he said, the side effects of UPCL are very less as the plant has Flue Gas De-sulpurisation (FGD) unit while the RTPS lacked the system.

“What ever has to be done should be done with the right earnest,” he said and affirmed that UPCL will overcome the initial hic-ups in a near future.

Netravati river diversion

Speaking about the Netravati river diversion project, he said the project does not intend to divert the river, but it only plans to flow the waste rainwater from Western Ghats region to Chitradurga and Tumkur through rainwater harvesting. The project requires only 1/10th amount of the annual rainfall of Western Ghats for the purpose. It would also reduce the flood in this region, he said. DHNS