Environmental public hearing for the execution of the coal-based Telangana Super Thermal Power (TSTP) project stage-I by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) Ramagundam conducted by the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) passed off smoothly barring few protests by land oustees in Ramagundam on Saturday.
The TSTP stage-I project of 2 x 800 MWs (1,600 MWs) will come up in the existing land of the 2,600 MWs NTPC Ramagundam at a cost of Rs 9,954.20 crore. This project is being taken up as part of the AP States Reorganisations Act 2014, which announced setting up of 4,000 MWs of power plants through NTPC in Telangana. The second phase of TSTP 2,400 MWs will come up at Dameracherla village of Nalgonda district.
The land oustees of the project – residents of Khajipalli, Mallialpalli, Kundanpalli, Shalapalli, Elkalapali, Medipalli, Laxmipuram, Kannala, Brahmanapalli villages and other adjoining villages attended the public hearing and demanded that the NTPC management provide employment to land oustees. They complained that NTPC Ramagundam had acquired their land 35 years ago and failed to provide employment and majority of beneficiaries had now crossed the age limit.
They also sought permanent developmental works in their villages such as provision of water, roads, hospitals and other amenities. They also urged the NTPC management to accord priority to environmental protection.
Welcoming the new power plants in Ramagundam, local legislator S. Satyanarayana urged the NTPC management to relocate the solar power plant from the existing prime location in Ramagundam and allocate the site for setting up a medical college. He also favoured the setting up of all 4,000 MWs of power plant of TSTP in Ramagundam because of the availability of water, coal and other resources.
Joint Collector Pausumi Babu, TSPCB engineer K. Ravi Das, NTPC DGM Mahapatra, INTUC leader Babar Saleem Pasha, ZPTC member Sandhya Rani and others were also present. The NTPC authorities also explained about their environmental-friendly activities in the vicinity.