Eshwarappa opposes nuclear plant in Besur

Shivamogga: Former deputy CM KS Eshwarappa of the Rashtrabhaktara Balaga on Tuesday opposed a move by the NTPC to set up a nuclear power plant in Besur village, Sagar taluk.According to the balaga, the NTPC identified Besur in Avinahalli hobli and requested a feasibility report from the revenue department, following a meeting on Feb 2 with deputy commissioners from Koppal, Raichur, Vijayapura and Shivamogga. While other district administrations reportedly rejected the proposal as unsuitable for their regions, the Shivamogga district administration allegedly stated that 3,190 acres was available in Besur — well above the 2,000 acres required. This has sparked outrage among environmentalists and local leaders, including Shrikant of the balaga, who questioned why the district administration would offer land in the ecologically sensitive Western Ghats, especially given the existing local opposition to projects like the Sharavathi pumped storage project.They also highlighted that international trends are shifting towardd solar energy, and argued that the Kaiga plant has underperformed, producing only 800 MW against a 1,600 MW capacity.The controversy has placed Sagar MLA Gopal Krishna Belur in a difficult position, as he was reportedly not consulted on the project, leading to further public anger. Activist TN Srinivas has announced protest meetings in Sagar, to organise a formal movement against the plant. In response to the growing unrest, Shivamogga in-charge deputy commissioner Hemanth N issued a clarification on Monday, categorically denying that any proposal for a nuclear power plant in Besur has been submitted to the govt. However, Eshwarappa maintained scepticism, questioning why surveillance flights have been spotted over the Sagar region, and demanded a transparent, minute-to-minute account of the administrative meetings to ensure the NTPC project is officially blocked to protect the local environment.The protest is planned at Sagar on Thursday.