Australian environmental survey claims 69% Indians oppose Adanis' imported coal-fired power project

Click on the image to watch spot interviews in Gujarat

By Our Representative

A survey conducted by AZ Research for Australian environmental group Market Forces a less than a week ahead of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s visit to visit Australia to attend the G-20 summit has claimed that 69 per cent of Indians, and 87 per cent of Gujaratis, oppose imported coal-fired power plant project being imported by Modi’s closest industrial group, Adanis. Sponsored by Australian environmental group Market Forces, the survey has been carried out as part of the environmental campaign in Australia over importing coal from proposed mines in the Aussie province of Queensland’s Galilee Basin, contracted to the Adani Group.

A statement by Market Forces and Conservation Action Trust says, “The telephone survey of 1,000 Indians, which revealed 69 per cent opposition to the proposals to import coal from Queensland’s Galilee Basin, comes as Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi prepares to arrive in Australia for the G20 meeting, where Queensland Premier Campbell Newman has foreshadowed a major announcement concerning the $16 billion Adani Carmichael mine, rail and port project.”

The surveys include spot interviews with individuals in villages where the Adani Group’s power plant is coming up, Mundra, in Gujarat, the home state of group chairman Gautam Adani. The polling results can be found at: www.marketforces.org.au/india-coal-survey.

The statement says, “Most Indians believe that the country’s future power needs are best served by building renewable energy (68 per cent) as opposed to coal (29 per cent). The majority (58%) consider the environmental and health costs of coal-fired power are unjustified. The majority (56%) believed that the major coal power expansion in India over the past decade had continued to leave those without energy access behind. Only 38% thought that the expansion of coal had alleviated energy poverty.”

“Proposals by Adanis and GVK to build new mega coal mines in the Galilee Basin are being contested in Australia over their environmental impacts, including the disruption to the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area as new export terminals are proposed to dramatically increase shipping from Abbot Point. Throughout 2014, nine major international banks have committed to not fund the proposed port expansion, many citing the concerns held over the Great Barrier Reef”, the statement points out.

“The projects have also been criticised as economically unviable and research has found that if coal from the Adani Carmichael mine and GVK’s Kevin’s Corner mine is imported into India, it would generate power at 40-90% more than the current wholesale price, costing more than power from solar and wind”, it underlines.

“We’re talking about opening up one of the world’s biggest untapped coal basins and adding billions of tonnes of carbon pollution to the atmosphere, building massive new coal export terminals at Abbot Point in the Great Barrier Reef World Heritage Area, turning the Reef into a coal shipping superhighway and then asking people in India to pay twice as much for this dirty energy. It’s no wonder that the idea is so unpopular”, said Market Forces Lead Campaigner Julien Vincent.

Meanwhile, Debi Goenka, from the Conservation Action Trust in Mumbai, last month began court proceedings against the Adani Carmichael mine, based on the pollution that would be generated as the coal from the mine is burned in India. “The Carmichael coal mine would be an environmental and health hazard for thousands of people directly affected by the dirty power it generates in India. This survey demonstrates that people in India are well aware of the environmental costs of coal and can see a better, more sustainable path ahead in renewable energy”, Goenka said.

Comments

Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan raises concerns over Jharkhand Adivasis' plight in Assam, BJP policies

By Our Representative The Loktantra Bachao Abhiyan (Save Democracy Campaign) has issued a pressing call to protect Adivasi rights in Jharkhand, highlighting serious concerns over the treatment of Jharkhandi Adivasis in Assam. During a press conference in Ranchi on November 9, representatives from Assam, Chhattisgarh, and Madhya Pradesh criticized the current approach of BJP-led governments in these states, arguing it has exacerbated Adivasi struggles for rights, land, and cultural preservation.

Promoting love or instilling hate and fear: Why is RSS seeking a meeting with Rahul Gandhi?

By Ram Puniyani* India's anti-colonial struggle was marked by a diverse range of social movements, one of the most significant being Hindu-Muslim unity and the emergence of a unified Indian identity among people of all religions. The nationalist, anti-colonial movement championed this unity, best embodied by Mahatma Gandhi, who ultimately gave his life for this cause. Gandhi once wrote, “The union that we want is not a patched-up thing but a union of hearts... Swaraj (self-rule) for India must be an impossible dream without an indissoluble union between the Hindus and Muslims of India. It must not be a mere truce... It must be a partnership between equals, each respecting the religion of the other.”

Right-arm fast bowler who helped West Indies shape arguably greatest Test team in cricket history

By Harsh Thakor* Malcolm Marshall redefined what it meant to be a right-arm fast bowler, challenging the traditional laws of biomechanics with his unique skill. As we remember his 25th death anniversary on November 4th, we reflect on the legacy he left behind after his untimely death from colon cancer. For a significant part of his career, Marshall was considered one of the fastest and most formidable bowlers in the world, helping to shape the West Indies into arguably the greatest Test team in cricket history.

Andhra team joins Gandhians to protest against 'bulldozer action' in Varanasi

By Rosamma Thomas* November 1 marked the 52nd day of the 100-day relay fast at the satyagraha site of Rajghat in Varanasi, seeking the restoration of the 12 acres of land to the Sarva Seva Sangh, the Gandhian organization that was evicted from the banks of the river. Twelve buildings were demolished as the site was abruptly taken over by the government after “bulldozer” action in August 2023, even as the matter was pending in court.

Swami Vivekananda's views on caste and sexuality were 'painfully' regressive

By Bhaskar Sur* Swami Vivekananda now belongs more to the modern Hindu mythology than reality. It makes a daunting job to discover the real human being who knew unemployment, humiliation of losing a teaching job for 'incompetence', longed in vain for the bliss of a happy conjugal life only to suffer the consequent frustration.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Will Left victory in Sri Lanka deliver economic sovereignty plan, go beyond 'tired' IMF agenda?

By Atul Chandra, Vijay Prashad* On September 22, 2024, the Sri Lankan election authority announced that Anura Kumara Dissanayake of the Janatha Vimukthi Peramuna (JVP)-led National People’s Power (NPP) alliance won the presidential election. Dissanayake, who has been the leader of the left-wing JVP since 2014, defeated 37 other candidates, including the incumbent president Ranil Wickremesinghe of the United National Party (UNP) and his closest challenger Sajith Premadasa of the Samagi Jana Balawegaya.

Will Bangladesh go Egypt way, where military ruler is in power for a decade?

By Vijay Prashad* The day after former Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina left Dhaka, I was on the phone with a friend who had spent some time on the streets that day. He told me about the atmosphere in Dhaka, how people with little previous political experience had joined in the large protests alongside the students—who seemed to be leading the agitation. I asked him about the political infrastructure of the students and about their political orientation. He said that the protests seemed well-organized and that the students had escalated their demands from an end to certain quotas for government jobs to an end to the government of Sheikh Hasina. Even hours before she left the country, it did not seem that this would be the outcome.

A Marxist intellectual who dwelt into complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape

By Harsh Thakor* Professor Manoranjan Mohanty has been a dedicated advocate for human rights over five decades. His work as a scholar and activist has supported revolutionary democratic movements, navigating complex areas of the Indian socio-political landscape. His balanced, non-partisan approach to human rights and social justice has made his books essential resources for advocates of democracy.

Tributes paid to pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, who 'dodged' police for 60 yrs

By Harsh Thakor* Jagjit Singh Sohal, known as Comrade Sharma, a pioneer of Naxalism in Punjab, passed away on October 20 at the age of 96. Committed to the Naxalite cause and a prominent Maoist leader, Sohal, who succeeded Charu Majumdar, played hide and seek with the police for almost six decades. He was cremated in Patiala.

Search This Blog