Centre withholds nod to Sompeta plant

The National Environmental Appellate Authority on Thursday quashed the environmental clearance granted to the Nagarjuna Construction Company Ltd by the ministry of environment and forests to set up a thermal power plant at Sompeta village in Srikakulam district.

The decision comes as major relief to the people in Sompeta, where four people lost their lives in police firing while protesting against the power project on Wednesday.

Mr T. Mohan Rao, an advocate from the area, had filed an appeal before the NEAA challenging the action of the Centre in granting environmental clearance to the project.

The Centre had earlier cleared the NCC thermal plant along with three other plants that are to be set up in an area of 10,000 acres to generate 10,000 MW of power.

The NEAA faulted the Centre and said that the environmental clearance accorded by the ministry to the project was based on wrong information and was thus liable to be quashed.

“It is relevant to mention here that the...authority has no doubt that the area is a typical wetland of great ecological significance,” said NEAA, and added that it should not be used to set up a power plant. Meanwhile, the state Assembly saw unruly scenes on Thursday when the Sompeta firing incident was being discussed. The Telugu Desam members beat up marshals, tore up papers, broke microphones and refused to leave the House when suspended.