Collector M. Balaji has instructed the officials of Madras Cements Limited (MCL) to take up various confidence building measures to clear environmental concerns of the people of eight panchayats in and around R.R. Nagar where the factory has proposed to install a 25-MW captive thermal power plant.
Addressing at a public hearing organised by the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board on the issue here on Wednesday, Mr. Balaji strongly suggested the constitution of a monitoring team involving representatives of the villages concerned to periodically verify the claims of the company on environmental issues.
This point was raised by the Virudhunagar MLA, K. Pandiarajan, who wanted to make mandatory periodical verification of ground water exploitation and level of air pollution. Besides, he said that the villagers should be able to monitor the development works taken up by the factory in the villages under the corporate social responsibility in a transparent manner.
State policy
Mr. Balaji said that thermal power was the most common way of power generation in the country.
The State Government had taken a policy decision to encourage captive power projects to overcome power shortage in the State.
The company has clarified that the trucks carrying coal would be covered during transit to avoid air pollution. Similarly, the coal would be moved through closed conveyors inside the plant.
On the drawal of water, Mr. Balaji said Virudhunagar being a drought-prone district, it should be strictly monitored by the local people too.
“The villagers' concern is that the company would draw huge quantity of water which otherwise would be enjoyed by their next generations. The people's welfare was of high priority and there will not be any compromise on that aspect,” he said. The company is going to use the water, but it would spare the electricity which is now used by the factory.
He said the company should give a report soon on how many of the eligible villagers could be given employment opportunity in the erection work of the plant. All the eight villages should get equal share of the job opportunities.
The company must meet the village representatives and ascertain their immediate social requirements, like schools, hospitals, roads and bridges. The report on the works to be taken up under the corporate social responsibility should be submitted by next Thursday, he said. Those works that the company would not be able to take up with its funds could be considered by the district administration, he said.
The Collector declined to order stoppage of construction work on the site which, he said, would disturb the company's administrative plans.
When the villagers expressed apprehension that the power plant after its operation would destroy cultivation in a radius of 10 km around it, Mr. Balaji said MCL has similar power plants in other parts of the State.
He also suggested to MCL vice-president N. Ravi Shankar to take the villagers of Virudhunagar district on a tour to those power plants in Ariyalur and Alathiyur to clear their doubts on possible adverse impact on agricultural operations.
In his presentation, MCL Manager (Mechanical) N. Devaraja said that the company had permission to draw 1,500 kilolitres of water a day from Arjuna river through a Government Order dated October 4, 1975.
However, the factory was drawing only 900 KLD. The Rs. 150-crore proposed thermal power plant would require only 280 KLD. All technologies to reduce water usage would be adopted and ground water would not be exploited. The cement plant was a zero effluent discharge factory, he said.
The company has proposed to spend 2.54 per cent of its project cost on environment management – Rs. 4.50 crore (with a recurring cost of Rs. 50 lakh a year) – and 5.90 per cent on corporate social responsibility activities, Rs. 3 crore (with a recurring cost of Rs. 50 lakh a year).
The District Environmental Engineer, M. Manohar, the MCL deputy general manager (Personnel), K.G. Rajarajeswaran, elected representatives and several villagers were present.
