March 8, 2017
India

Wind power generating firms under the scanner

Girish Pattanshetti | The Hindu | March 08, 2017 | www.thehindu.com

With forest fires keeping officials on their toes, a wary eye has been kept on transmission lines that criss-cross Kappatagudda hills.

Forest officials allege that one of the four cases of forest fire recorded in the past week is linked to sparks emitting from a transmission line in the the area. They have filed a case under Section 24 C(I) of the Karnataka Forest Act against a major wind power generating firms, while instructing firms to take safety precautions.

There are 240 windmills operating from the forest area in the Kappatagudda forest range, maintained by three different companies. Chief Conservator of Forests Krishna Udapudi said directions had been issued to the representatives of the three companies about building fire lines in their areas of operation. “We have also asked them to create a clean zone of 10-metre width on either side of the power transmission lines so that there is no burning material in the area that may cause the fire to spread,” he said.

Erecting barricades around the transformers, maintaining vigil over vehicles were some of the other directions issued.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2017/03/08/wind-power-generating-firms-under-the-scanner/