This is from a very concerned citizen, Mr Balakrishnan Reddy :

Sir, I saw and heard your comments about the Bhopal tragedy. We almost have similar situation happening in the coastal Udupi district of Karnataka. The 1200mw coal based power project is being built by the rich Congress MP Mr. L. Rajagopal’s company Lanco in total violation of the Environment Protection Act. They have shifted the project from the approved site, did not conduct public hearing, the chimney is on the flight path to Mangalore Airport and seems to be vibrating when a heavy vehicle passes on the nearby roads, vandalized the properties of the project affected with goons from the underworld, no rehabilitation, and compensation at the rate they preferred.

Several explosions took place in the site and a large of number of immigrant laborers died without even registering cases by the police. The seawater is discharged into agricultural fields and streams and a large number of drinking water wells are now poisoned. The Company cleverly is bribing the BJP govt as well as some in the Congress. Justice P D Dinakaran has not heard the PIL filed in 2005 and now not posting before other benches as he does not preside over the court at the moment. We are in a very difficult situation and though we do get coverage from the local press occassionally in Kannada it is inaffective at the national level.

I wrote several letters of representations to all the concerned authorities including Jairam Ramesh but no result. The only source could be the TV channels such as CNN IBN, NDTV 24×7 and Times Now who can expose the truth behind this power project. the proejct is granted without competitive bidding as required in Electricity Act and yet govt has offered soverein guarantee, escrow cover and revolving letter of credit and have also issued NOC for further expansion. I tried my best to attract the attention of these channels but they seem to be more interested in the North. I wonder whether you could help us to expose these people.