Hunger strike launched against Kakarapalli project

Bhavanapadu Thermal Vyatireka Porata Samiti, Paryavarana Parirakshana Sangham, Human Rights Forum with the support of Opposition parties on Sunday vowed to continue the agitation till the East Coast Energy Private Limited stops the works at the project site near Kakarapalli of Santabommali mandal.

Local people and representatives of various organisations staged an agitation near the project site demanding the government to scrap the project.

Police force was deployed to avoid untoward incident at Kakarapalli. As many as 15 villagers participated in the hunger strike at Vadditandra village of Santabommali mandal. The associations declared that hunger strike would continue for several months on the lines of Sompeta agitation.

MLC M.V.S. Sarma, HRF State vice-president B. Ramulu, Thermal Vyatireka Porata Samiti president Rami Reddy and general secretary B. Mohan Reddy and others alleged the Government was destroying the ecology all along coastal belt by allowing thermal projects.

They feared that thousands of people will lose livelihood in four mandals due to pollution and fly ash which would be produced after the commencement of the commercial operations. “The government ignored the reports of various environmental organizations. The government colluded with the corporate houses at the cost of the ecology and livelihood of the people,” said Mr. Ramulu.

Meanwhile, East Coast Energy Private Limited president S. Gopalakrishnan on Sunday told

The Hindu that the project would ultimately benefit the state. “There is a huge gap between demand and supply of power in the State. Our project will find out a solution to some extent,” he said.

“Pollution levels will be negligible as we are using advanced technology in the construction of the project,” he said.