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Opposition to Norochcholai coal plant gathering power
Religious organisations, farmers, Fishermen and NGOs will take part in a fast unto death campaign backed by the UNP opposing the construction of the coal power project at Norochcholai in the Puttalam district.

Puttalam district MP, Neomal Perera told The Sunday Times that their objections were mainly to do with the selected location for the coal power project as it had serious environmental implications in addition to its adverse effects on farmers and fishermen.

“We are opposed to the construction of the project on the grounds that our previous appeals to the government, including the protest by the Catholic church have been ignored’, he said.

The organisations were due to meet in Puttalam yesterday to decide on the venue and the date for the commencement of the protest which will take place this month. Mr. Perera said the historic St. Anne’s Church in Talawila would also be affected by the project.

“At the time the project was challenged in courts in 1998 a Cabinet decision was taken to stop the project. In the following year the President herself gave an election pledge that she will not go ahead with it. Now the President has changed her position”, he said.

Mr. Perera said they were opposed to providing power to another area at the expense of the inconvenience caused to the people of Puttalam.
Before the agreement was signed the UNP raised objections with the Chinese embassy in Colombo.

He confirmed that he together with the UNP leader Ranil Wickckremesinghe and other UNP MPs met the Chinese Ambassador and made their opposition known about the implementation of the coal power plant to be built in Norochcholai.

Mr. Perera said the UNP was against the implementation of the coal power plant in that area but would assist in the implementing a diesel power plant or a natural gas power plant.

Power and Energy Minister Susil Premajayantha told the Sunday Times that those who are opposing the setting up of the Norochcholai coal power plant were being paid by the vested interests in diesel power generation.

The Minister said if the Upper Kothmale hydro power plant and the Norochcholai coal power plant starts contributing to the national grid, the diesel power generation would eventually have to be close down as cost of diesel power generation was much higher than hydro and coal power.

He said diesel power was the prime reason for high electricity rates, which were currently being charged due to the high cost of power generation.
Rev. Fr. A. Edwards, a Catholic priest who was also opposed to the the project said a ground level committee consisting of people from the Kalpitiya area has already been formed and leaflets had been distributed among the people.

“We have also put up banners against the move to build the power plant. We wrote to the President and the Prime Minister at the end of August but so far we have had no response. We will continue to protest. We are against the plant but the Government wants to go ahead with it”, he said.

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