Andhra Pradesh - Nalgonda   

Villagers foil public hearing on cement firm

Staff Reporter

NALGONDA: The Pollution Control Board has indefinitely postponed the proposed public hearing related to the expansion scheme of India Cements Limited following large-scale protest from villagers of Vadapally.

The irate villagers blocked the road that led to the venue of the public hearing preventing the officials from taking up the mandatory exercise. They placed bullock-carts, tractors and auto-rickshaws on the road and raised slogans demanding the officials to "Go back."

The Revenue officials led by the District Revenue Officer M. Champa Lal, the Environmental Engineer of the Pollution Control Board Regula Ravinder Reddy and the company's representatives couldn't reach the spot. As attempts to pacify the villagers proved futile, the public hearing was postponed indefinitely.

"The DRO asked us to call for a meeting with the villagers, company representatives and the officials of various departments involved in the exercise to settle the issue next week," the EE said.

The villagers have taken strong exception to the mining activity in 40 acres situated very close to Vadapally. "They came up with 17 demands before the PCB gave nod to the proposed Rs.740-crore expansion-cum-mining scheme. Efforts will be made to iron out the differences," an official of the PCB said.

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