Hyderabad: Union minister for coal and mines G Kishan Reddy and Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) MP Konda Vishweshwar Reddy on Tuesday, October 15, slammed activists and opposition leaders over their obstruction and objection to the Indian Navy’s radar station coming up in Telangana’s Vikarabad district.
Konda Vishveshwar slammed activists against the project and claimed that the Navy Radar system would enhance the environment. He alleged that activists with vested interests were spreading false propaganda on the radar station, which he said, would not cause harmful radiation for the villagers living around the forest.
In a YouTube video about the project, the Chevella MP tried to debunk the claims of the environmental activists who have been opposing the construction of the project for decades.
Observing that a part of the forest was already destroyed by cattle grazers, hunters, firewood collectors and the real estate mafia, he said that if the radar station comes; a compound wall and a fence will be laid around the forest, hence protecting it from degradation.
He felt that the activists probably didn’t have an idea about the topography of the forest.
“The activists claim that the Musi originates here. But the fact is that Damagundam is West-sloping, while Musi flows from West to East. Even a drop of rain that falls in Damagundam won’t join the Musi, but will join the Kagna River which flows westwards,” he said.
He rubbished the activists’ claim that 12 lakh trees will be cut to facilitate the construction of the radar station.
“There are a total of 1.93 lakh trees in that forest and not 12 lakh as they claim. The radar station will have tiny tall towers with wires hanging from above. Each tower may require 20 trees to be cut. There will be 10 towers, for which 300-400 trees may be cut down. If we include the buildings, computer stations and the staff quarters, at the most 1,500 trees may be felled,” he said.
He also downplayed the activists’ claim that the ancient Shiva temple, the banyan trees around it and the pond located in the middle will be affected. “The temple would be developed even more beautifully if the radar station came there,” he claimed.
On the activists’ concerns over radiation from the radar station affecting human health, he claimed that the specific absorption rate (SAR), which will have no effect on the human body, is 4 watts per kg weight of the human body.
“For a six-foot-tall person, the SAR will be 0.16 watt per kg weight. For a person weighing 50 kg it is 0.0033 watt per kg weight, which is negligible,” he noted.
Mentioning that soon the country was going to get 2 new nuclear submarines, he said that such a radar station was essential, to send signals as far as Australia and past Africa.
“We are a peace-loving country and have a no-first-use policy on the use of nukes. But if someone attacks us, we will have to retaliate. Having the nuclear submarines helps because it becomes difficult for the enemy to target a submarine which will be constantly on the move,” he said.
He added that signals from the radar station could be sent to friendly nations, which he felt, was important for maintaining world peace.
“My country will not harm our people. I have faith in my government and PM Modi. I’m happy that it is coming to my constituency,” he concluded saying so.
Kishan Reddy slams BRS
Kishan accused the BRS leaders of protesting against national security and the armed forces while denying that the radar station posed any threat to the environment.
Kishan Reddy addressed a press conference hours before defence minister Rajnath Singh was scheduled to lay the foundation for the Indian Navy’s Very Low Frequency (VLF) communication transmission station at Puduru in Vikarabad district.
The Union minister claimed that the BRS government had approved setting up the radar station.
On Monday, BRS working president K T Rama Rao (KTR) said that his party would oppose the radar station as it posed a threat to the ecosystem of the Musi River.
Terming Rama Rao’s statement irresponsible, the Union minister asked the BRS leader if he was protesting against his father K Chandrasekhar Rao, who had given clearance for the radar station.
The Union minister said it was a matter of pride for Telangana that it is getting the second radar station of the Navy after Tamil Nadu.
He stated that the Navy identified Damagundam forest as a strategic place to set up the radar station to communicate with ships and submarines.
