Madras HC rejects plea against erection of HT electric towers

Source: deccanchronicle.com

Chennai: The Madras high court has dismissed a batch of petitions, which challenged the erection of high tension electricity towers through agricultural lands for the Rs 24,000 crore project to transmit power from Chhattisgarh to Tamil Nadu.

Dismissing the petitions from Vai.Palanisamy and 10 others, Justice G.Jayachandran said as far as the factual aspect of the case is concerned as pointed out in the counter affidavit by Power Grid Corporation, it is Rs 24,000 crore project to transmit power from Chhattisgarh to Tamil Nadu covering 1,843 km. This project is going to benefit the people of Tamil Nadu, who will be enjoying uninterrupted power transmission. This project covers five states and substantial portion of the work is completed, the judge added.

The judge said, “If really there is an element of damage, which is peculiar to the petitioners and others, they have every right to make their representations to the district collectors to increase the height of the tower so as to avoid passing electrostatic field near. At about 345 km of transmission lines are likely to pass through the state of Tamil Nadu under this project. It is not that at all the points the effect of electrostatic field is felt. If at all at any point the electrostatic is felt it is always open to represent the authorities of the Power Grid Corporation to attend the defects”.

The judge said after enjoying all comforts of electricity in their houses and business establishments, making false protests for public communication and misled the public to stall the project, which by and large going to provide uninterrupted electricity supply, was only attempt by some vested interest through the petitioners to keep the state in dark and perennial starvation of electricity.