Hyderabad, August 02: The regional chief conservator of forests, Bangalore, has objected to the location of the 2×660 MW (phase-I) super critical coal-based thermal plant in Sompet mandal in Srikakulam district.
He inspected the site today.
Chief conservator K S Reddy was mandated by the ministry of environment and forests to inspect the area after keeping the environment clearance for the thermal plant in abeyance, honouring public sentiment against the location of the project by the NCC Power Projects Limited.
Recently, protests by the villagers led to police firing in which two fishermen died. Following the incident, the union ministry of environment kept the environment clearance in abeyance, pending a report from the chief conservator.
Accordingly, the chief conservator led a team of two officials and inspected the area between July 17 and 19 and submitted a report to the government.
The team felt location of the project was an infringement of the human rights in the area (the fishermen said the project would deprive them of their livelihood). The team opined that the project cannot be allowed in the area as it was a wetland where no industrial activity can be permitted under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, according to the contents of the report.
–IANS