Odisha miffed with NTPC plant in Chhattisgarh

Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has sought the intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi to safeguard the livelihood and environment of 27 villages of the state bordering Chhattishgarh, which are likely to be affected by a 1,600 Mw power plant coming up in the neighbouring state.

The intervention of Modi is sought at a time, when the both the states are at loggerheads over sharing of Mahanadi river water.

"NTPC is setting up a 1600 (2x800) Mw super thermal power project at Lara in Chhattisgarh at a distance of about two kilometres from the border of Odisha. 27 villages of Kandeikela, Remata, Kanaktora, Charpall, Pithinda and Badimal Gram Panchayats of Lakhanpur block in Jharsuguda district will be adversely affected by this project," Naveen said in his letter.

When this project is commissioned the environment, livelihood and health conditions of the people of the 27 villages of Odisha will be seriously impacted. This issue has been constantly agitated by the affected people and their representatives, he added.

Patnaik complained that while public hearing regarding environment impact assessment has been done in the villages affected by the project in Chhattisgarh, no such public hearing has been done in the project affected villages in Odisha.

NTPC has started CSR activities in nine villages in Chhattisgarh completely ignoring the affected persons on the Odisha side, he added.

In his letter, Patnaik urged the Prime Minister to issue suitable instructions to the NTPC authorities to address the genuine concerns of the people of Odisha, who would be affected by the project.