A coal based Thermal Power Plant (TPP) of capacity 2X500 MW was proposed in Nandikur village (Udupi taluk, Udupi district, Karnataka) in 1996 by Nagarjuna Power Corporation Limited (NPCL). This was followed by a proposal for 2X507.5 MW TPP in 2003 in the same region. However, these projects were stalled due to protests from local people. Later on, amidst the local protests, Lanco’s Udupi Power Corporation Limited (UPCL) acquired land and commenced construction of a 2X600 MW TPP in Yellur village north of Nandikur with an assurance to  set-up the state of the art TPP with the latest technologies and imported coal (with low ash and other contaminants). In-spite of the assurances of  maintaining the clean environment, functioning/operation of TPP since July 2010 the region experienced large scale environmental contamination (land, water, air and biotic elements) affecting the livelihood of  the local people. This led to massive agitations in the district demanding the district administration to intervene immediately to ensure safe drinking water, etc.

In response to this, a committee consisting of 6 experts and senior officials was constituted on 31^st March 2011, in order to assess the environmental pollution based on the complaints received by the district administration. The committee submitted a mid-term report on 5^th July 2011.  The interim report was rejected by the public as neither the terms of reference nor the recommendations reflected the realities or offer any solution to them So they insisted  on reconstitution of the committee with the experts of repute. Subsequently, the Pontiff of Pejavar Mutt, Sri Sri Vishwesha Tirtha Swamiji advised the Government of Karnataka (GoK) to include Dr. T.V. Ramachandra (Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences, Indian Institute of Science, Bangalore 560012 & Member Western Ghats Task Force, Government of Karnataka) and Y.B. Ramakrishna (Executive Chairman, Karnataka State Biofuel Development Board, Government of Karnataka) as expert members into the committee. These members were included after ascertaining their willingness to serve in the committee by  the office of Hon. Minister for Fisheries  Sri. Krishna J. Palemar, GoK. Subsequently, Udupi Dy. Commissioner (DC) office  issued a communiqué (MAG2CR848/2010-11/41913) indicating the reconstitution of the expert committee on 8^th August 2011.

The first meeting of the reconstituted committee took place on 26^thSeptember 2011 at 11 am in the Dy. Commissioners office. The committee deliberated on the causal factors of the pollution while taking into cognizance the prevailing environmental conditions of the region. In this regard, the newly inducted experts insisted on holding 1) A public consultation meeting to take into account the woes of the people; as there existed no written records of complaints of people of the region on the files except for some newspaper reports of agitation by the people and 2) A surprise visit to the TPP to assess the technical competency that was claimed. The public consultation meeting was held on 19^th November 2011. The inducted expert members also insisted on the provision of safe drinking water, repair of roads, compensation for crop loss and addressing of health issues on priority.

The second meeting of the expert committee was scheduled on 21^st December 2011 to discuss the outcome of the public consultation and one of the expert member was not even informed of the meeting. The Dy. Commissioner expressed his inability to work under pressure from different quarters as well as from some of the members of the committee. The representatives of the agriculture, horticulture, health departments were of the opinion that extensive damage has been done with regard to flora of the region and the water in several wells in the region were in fact, contaminated. It was decided to seek detailed report from respective departments for further action. In the meantime, the DY. Commissioner’s office sent office communication (dated 29^th December 2011) indicating exclusion of the 2 newly inducted experts from the committee without assigning any reasons whatsoever. It appeared from the local media reports, that the district administration was not comfortable with the deliberations of public consultations, field visit and also the expert members’ insistence for surprise visit to TPP to assess the technical aspects and site conditions. On persistent query from public, the district administration and the then minister in-charge of the district gave frivolous reason, of members addressing the media as the reason for dropping the two members from the committee.

After public consultation of 19^th November 2011, one of the members  Sri Y B Ramakrishna highlighted the prevailing conditions in the region and the issues to be addressed on priority by the district administration. After the meeting and field visit,  Sri. Y B Ramakrishna wrote a detailed letter to the Hon. Chief Minister and submitted in person on  21^st Nov 2011  requesting his intervention on providing safe drinking water on priority and also to take up much needed repair of roads. Unfriendly attitude of the district administration  and  deteriorating environmental conditions (contaminated drinking water, poor crop yield,  bad road conditions) and unceremonious removal of two experts of national and international repute, led to the agitation by local people and the Pontiff of Pejavar Mutt went on fast from 9^th January 2011,demanding GoK for re-induction of the 2 expert members into the committee and completion of the report. Hon. Chief Minister deputed the district in-charge minister to convince the Pontiff to end the fast and agitation.  It was agreed in presence of the media that Sri Sri. Pejawar Swamiji would request the two experts (dropped from the committee) to submit their independent report to him and the Govt would expedite the report of the truncated committee and a proper action will be taken based on the two reports  until which the second phase (600 MW) will not be given the sanction for operation. As a result, the fast and agitation ended on 10^th January 2011.

The technical report prepared with this backdrop, is based on the detailed field investigations (water, soil, biotic elements) and interaction with the local people. A team of researchers from Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Bangalore conducted a detailed scientific assessment of the environmental conditions of the region (during August – November 2011), which is deliberated in this report.