Udupi: A conditional permission has been given by Green Tribunal a account of Union Government to draw a power transmission line from Nandikoor (UPCL) to Shantigrama in Hassan district in old Mysore.

The line is worked out by KPTCL to connect power generated by Udupi Power Corporation (UPCL) to the central grid by Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Ltd.

Nandikur Janajagruthi Samithi had objected to the proposal but Center’s environment and forests deptt, gave the clearance to the project. The appeal of NJS was preferred to the Green Tribunal under Supreme Court as a bench of law.

The GT has Justice A.S. Naidu as presiding officer with Dr. G. K. Pandey as a member. It dismissed the appeal of the JJ environmentalists on the basis that UPCL served the nation as a builder of power and contributed to financial capacity of India.

The Panel allowed KPTCL to fell a minimum of trees in the forest areas, but prohibited cutting of any tree from Towers no. 100 to 108. Power line passes over the western Ghats.