Hyderabad, May 19: Notices were issued to the state government and central government by a vacation bench of the AP High Court to explain their decision to set up 25 thermal power plants in Nellore district.
The bench comprising Justices B Prakasa Rao and V Eswaraiah admitted a writ petition which requested for a CBI probe in the issue, since permission was accorded in violation of environmental norms.
The petitioner Bezawada Govinda Reddy, who is a Congress leader alleged that 30,000 acres of public land would be forcefully taken for establishing these plants.
Senior counsel S Ramachandra Rao told the court that political leaders like T Subbirami Reddy, Lanco Rajagopal, Nama Nageswara Rao, Vakati Narayana Reddy and others will be the main beneficiaries from establishing thermal power plants.
Govinda Reddy also informed that establishment of these plants would release 2 lakh tonne of fly ash and 15 lakh tonne of dangerous chemicals and poisonous gases into the air.
According to him, commissioning of these projects will affect the ecological balance in nearly eight villages.
He added the villages are home to several rare birds and they are at risk, if the power plants came up.
–Agencies