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More than 10 fishermen and others were injured on Thursday afternoon at the NTPC-Simhadri thermal station at Parawada in Visakhapatnam district as fishermen staged a demonstration against pollution caused by the thermal station and also seeking proper rehabilitation measures.
The demonstration turned violentas the fishermen started throwing stones at the Central Industrial Security Force personnel, according to sources. Then, the CISF opened several rounds of fire in the air to quell the mob at the project site. Fishermen from the nearby villages tried to stall pipeline-laying work for the seawater pump house project for second phase of NTPC Simhadri thermal project. They were protesting against the pollution caused by the fly ash and were demanding jobs to the project-affected people.
Employment
According to a NTPC spokesman, 300 villagers from Tikkavanipalem assembled near the pumphouse and sought jobs. When the officials explained to them that providing contract labourer jobs to all was not possible and only the eligible among them would get employment, they left and a little later again assembled at the same spot in large numbers and staged a demonstration.
The District Collector, Mr Lav Agarwal, and the city Commissioner of Police, Mr J. Poornjachandra Rao, visited the spot.
Fly ash pollution
The people of nearby villages are agitated over the pollution caused by the fly ash generated at NTPC Simhadri and they complain that it has become virtually impossible for them to live in the villages.
The fishermen in particular allege that fisheries resources are being destroyed due to the pollution and their livelihood is adversely affected.
The NTPC-Simhadri, with an initial capacity of 1,000 MW, is now executing the expansion project, adding 1,000 MW more.
Fishermen and others in the villages allege that with the expansion project their problems will intensify.
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