Coal news and updates

Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has urged Union Power Minister Piyush Goyal to direct the NTPC authorities to address the genuine concerns of the people of Lakhanpur block in Odisha’s Jharsuguda district who are likely to be affected by the proposed super thermal power plant at Lara in Chhattisgarh.

Mr. Patnaik wrote a letter to Mr. Goyal stating that NTPC is setting up a 1,600 (2x800) mW Super Thermal Power Project at Lara in Chhattisgarh which is about two kilometres from the border of Odisha.

He pointed out that as many as 27 villages under the gram panchayats of Kandeikela, Remata, Kanaktora, Charpali, Pithinda and Badimal in Lakhanpur block of Jharsuguda will be adversely affected by the smoke, dust and green houses gases. Of these 27 villages, six villages are likely to be severely affected, he added.

“It is learnt that public hearing regarding environment impact assessment has been done in the villages to be affected by this project in Chhattisgarh, but no public hearing has been done in villages to be affected in Odisha,” said Mr. Patnaik in his letter addressed to Mr. Goyal.

It is also learnt that CSR activities in the nine villages in Chhattisgarh have been started by NTPC, Mr. Patnaik said, while adding that there will be serious impact on the environment, livelihood and health condition of the people in these 27 villages of Odisha when the project is commissioned.

The issue has been agitated by MLA of Brajarajnagar as well as by the people likely to be affected by the project, Mr. Patnaik said.

Source: The Hindu