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The NTPC should set an example to others and relocate the main fishermen's village - Pudimadaka - in Visakhapatnam district where it is setting up a super critical thermal unit with a capacity of 4,000 MWs, according to several CPM leaders and the local fishermen.
They made the plea at a public hearing organised at the village on Wednesday by the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB). The plant, with four units of 1,000 MWs apiece, will entail investment of more than Rs 26,000 crores.
The CPM leaders, the CITU leaders and the local fishermen voiced vociferous protests at the public hearing held near the village. "The NTPC should be a role model for others. Already, people of fishermen villages near the NTPC-Simhadri with a capacity of 2,000 MWs in the same area are suffering great hardship and now another plant with 4,000 MWs is being set up at Pudimadaka, which is one of the biggest fishermen villages in the State, with a population of 20,000. The plant will ruin the marine resources and fisheries resources in the area and the fishermen will be like fish out of water," complained the CPM leader, Ch. Narasinga Rao.
He said the environment impact assessment report prepared by Vimta Labs, Hyderabad, was full of flaws and the location of the plant was clearly in violation of Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) regulations. He pleaded for relocation of Pudidmadaka village before taking up the plant. "Otherwise, it is a doomed village," he added.
M. Bapi Naidu, husband of the sarpanch of Pudimadaka village who spoke on her behalf, said the villagers were opposing the plant for the reasons cited by Ch. Narasinga Rao. He said the plant would spell ruin to the fisheries resources in the area.
L. Ramesh Naidu, the sarpanch of another village near the plant, said the NTPC officials should specify how many jobs they would give to the locals.
Several speakers said they realised the importance of the power plant, but the local people should not be sacrificed and all pollution control measures should be taken. The locals should be given jobs.
Earlier, the NTPC officials explained that the plant would be run on imported coal with high calorific value and low ash content and all pollution control measures would be taken.
The district collector N. Yuvaraj, said the issues raised by the local people would be addressed and the NTPC would be advised to give priority to locals in giving jobs. The local youth would be trained and their skills upgraded to make them suitable for the jobs.
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