The Hindu Business Line : No eco clearance yet for two thermal projects on AP coast

The two projects have kicked up a controversy, as environmentalists and NGOs allege that they are situated in ecologically fragile zones very close to the Bay of Bengal.

Our Bureau

Visakhapatnam, Aug. 8

The appraisal committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests has not yet given clearance to the two proposed thermal power plants in Andhra Pradesh in the private sector – one in Srikakulam district situated in the Nowpada swamps and the other near Machilipatnam port in Krishna district.

Mr Nirmal Narendar Andrews, the Chairman of the appraisal committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, coastal projects and tourism, told reporters here on Friday that the two projects had not been cleared yet. He was here on Friday to participate in a one-day workshop on environmental problems in coastal zone, organised by the AP Pollution Control Board.

The two projects have kicked up a controversy, as environmentalists and NGOs allege that they are situated in ecologically fragile zones very close to the Bay of Bengal and they pose immense threat to the coastal environs.

Mr Rajeswar Tiwari, member-secretary of the AP Pollution Control Board, who also participated in the workshop, said the public hearing on the proposed 1,300 MW thermal plant at Polatitippa in the vicinity of Machilipatnam port in Krishna district would be held on August 28. “The environmentalists, NGOs and others are free to register their objections at the public hearing and they will be taken note of,” he said.

When it was pointed out to him that the ecologists were also objecting to the location of Srikakulam thermal plant as it was very near Telineelapuram bird habitat in the district, Mr Tiwari said all the relevant factors would be considered before giving clearance.

It may be noted that migratory birds from Europe and other parts of the world visit the Nowpada swamps every year. Mr Andrews said, “There is no room for any skepticism on the way public hearings are conducted and the way the objections are received. Every objection we take seriously and we address all these concerns, ecological or otherwise. A public hearing is not merely a ritualistic exercise.”

He said all the data on the surrounding environment would be taken into account and all efforts would be made to eliminate, or at least mitigate, pollution. The emphasis would always be on ecologically sustainable development, he asserted.

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