In the next few weeks the Karnataka government will begin deliberating on the future of Chamalapura, a tiny hamlet near Mysore, and its surroundings. According to highly placed sources in the state's energy department, feasibility studies will be commissioned soon for setting up a coal-fired thermal power plant in and around the village. This is a follow-up to a government order issued a few months ago to set up three power plants in the state (the other two are at Jewargi in Gulbarga and in Belgaum) with a 1,000 MW capacity each. The new plants are expected to reduce the state's 20 per cent power deficit. There has been no resistance to power plants coming up in Jewargi or Belgaum, but in Chamalapura there have been fierce protests. Reason: unlike the other two, Chamalapura has fertile land bordering the thick forests of Nagarhole and Bandipur, both national parks and home to nearly 2,000 elephants, other animals including tigers and leopards and over 350 species of birds, in addition to the area's priceless flora. In short, Chamalapura and its surroundings are a treasure trove of biodiversity. According to rough estimates, if the power plant were to come up, nearly 20,000 people would be displaced from 12 villages, with Chamalapura as ground zero. The plant will need 3,000 acres of land. Its fuel, coal, will have to be transported by rail from Orissa and a million litres of fresh water will be required daily from the nearby Kabini river. Every day, the plant will discharge 5,000 tonnes of fly ash, 180 tonnes of sulphur-dioxide, 50 tonnes of nitrogen-dioxide and 5 tonnes of solid particulate material. It will also emit 7.5 million tonnes of carbon dioxide anually. Such high levels of pollution will adversely impact the surrounding ecology. Prof Ashok Rao, a renewable energy expert formerly with Indian Institute of Science (use) and iim, Bangalore, says: "Chamalapura and the forests that surround it form the most pristine ecosystem and, importantly, is identified as among the five per cent of 'good' forests surviving in the entire country." Then there are other collateral damages that Mysoreans, who live 35 km away, point out. Veteran photojournalist T.S. Satyan says: "The heritage buildings and palaces here are world-renowned. If the plant comes up the gases and dust will corrode the surface, discolour the facade and weaken the structure. The air quality will go down and there can also be mercury contamination." Why then is the state government so keen on the project? Unconfirmed reports cite profitable contracts and kickbacks as reasons. The villagers here openly allege the project has the backing of jd(s) patriarch H.D. Deve Gowda's family. Since 2004, the energy portfolio has been with Gowda's son H.D. Revanna. In fact, a few months ago, a group of young men in Chamalapura even challenged Gowda's other son and former Karnataka chief minister, H.D. Kumaraswamy, to step into the village. IN fact, there is such mistrust and annoyance towards the Karnataka Power Corporation Limited (kpcl) and Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (kptcl), the agencies in charge of the project, that villagers did not initially allow the Outlook team to enter the site, suspecting it of being government agents. In Chamalapura, as a well worked-out strategy, it is the womenfolk who are at the forefront of protests. Jayamma, who was among the injured in a police lathicharge while protesting against the plant recently, says: "We'll sacrifice all but not give up our fertile land. We don't want money. Half an acre of my land is enough to sustain 12 family members. How can the government claim this land as barren? The government is fooling everyone." Similar sentiments were expressed by other villagers. With growing opposition, the state energy department strives to create the impression that the exact location of the plant has not been finalised. A top official told Outlook that the Chamalapura controversy is a "figment of imagination" of those who want to play dirty politics. "We have not zeroed in on any one site in that area. We want to conduct further studies, follow norms like the Environment Impact Assessment and get other statutory clearances from the Centre. Only then will we proceed. Half-baked knowledge about the project is dangerous and the protesters are doing a disservice to the state." But he noted immediately after: "There is a thermal plant near the assembly building in Gujarat. I can offer similar examples in Vizag and Delhi." Asked why the plant could not be shifted to poorer and drier districts in north Karnataka, he said: "The load centre is in the south. Bangalore, Mysore, Tumkur and Mandya need more power. There is a lot of industry and agricultural load here. To avoid transmission losses the plant has to be in south Karnataka." When contacted by Outlook, kptcl MD Bharat Lai Meena refused to comment on Chamalapura but said: "The studies are still on, the tender process has just commenced. People should allow the studies to be completed. Their interests are supreme. One also has to appreciate the state's energy needs. Currently, we need about 8,000 MW, but have 6,000 MW" Prof Rao terms this spin by government officials as "bunkum". "The Chamalapura project was proposed 15 years ago and was found to be unviable. Now, suddenly, it has been mysteriously dusted back to life. They may say the site has not been fixed but there is not much manoeuverability. Advanced reports have come out on Chamalapura. They have also marked six to seven big tanks where the slurry will be dumped. All that they are saying is humbug," he says. Now that there is no popular government in the state, will Karnataka governor Rameshwar Thakur take a neutral call on the project? Karnataka's power needs may be growing by the day, but the villagers of Chamalapura and the citizens of Mysore are determined to oppose the thermal power plant that/ many fear will wreak irreparable carnage on the region's ecology. ? POWER STRUGGLE