Andhra Pradesh - Visakhapatnam   

‘Jindal refinery will get water from Thatipudi ’

VISAKHAPATNAM: Details on the website of the Union Ministry of Environment have revealed a highly disturbing news to the farmers cultivating land under the Thatipudi reservoir ayacut and also for the citizens of Visakhapatnam. It has been confirmed that the 1.5 million ton capacity Jindal South West’s alumina refinery and co-generation plant, to be set up at Boddavar in S. Kota mandal of Vizianagaram district, will draw the eight mgd of water it requires from the three TMC capacity Thatipudi reservoir which is irrigating 15,378 acres in Gantyada, Jami and S. Kota mandals. The reservoir is also providing nine mgd of water to Visakhapatnam city.

This was in complete contrast to the press release issued by the Jindal on June 2, 2007 and also during the public hearing on the plant held four days later that it would draw water from the Greater Visakhapatnam Municipal Corporation’s Godavari water diversion scheme.

The company made this clarification after the environmental impact report on the plant said water would be drawn from the Raiwada reservoir sparking off a strong protest from the farmers under the Raiwada ayacut. Later the GVMC general body meeting passed a resolution against GVMC providing the Godavari water to Jindal and the Anrak plant in Makavarapalem mandal after a petition under Right to Information Act filed by Samata, a voluntary organisation, revealed this fact.

The general body opposed the move as the citizens were not being provided sufficient water as only 40 mgd were being supplied for the citizens and the industries while the demand is 72 mgd.

The Government and the Jindal company did not reveal the original plan of taking water from the Thatipudi reservoir, very close to the plant site, as it would attract strong opposition during the land acquisition phase and the public hearing process.

The environmental clearance received by Jindal was now void as the company cheated the Thatipudi farmers and complains were already lodged with the Union Ministry of Environment and senior officials of State Government, Samata executive director Rebbapragada Ravi said on Thursday.

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