The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh News : Stir on Jindal to be intensified

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Saturday, Jan 05, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh

Stir on Jindal to be intensified

Correspondent

Village-level panels to be constituted

Mining will disturb catchments of rivers and basins
It would displace about 60,000 tribals

VIZIANAGARAM: The Telugu Desam, the Left parties and the Samata, a voluntary organisation, have decided to constitute village-level committees in Boddavara, Mushidipalli and Kiltampalem panchayats in S.Kota mandal to create awareness among tribals, farmers and people on the environmental impact, if Jindal’s Alumina refinery is to be allowed in the mandal. Leaders of the political parties and members of Bauxite Thravvakala Vyathirekha Porata Committee met at the IMA Hall here on Friday and underscored the need to educate people and intensify the agitation.

TDP Polit Bureau member P. Ashok Gajapathi Raju, former MLA Sobha Hymavathi, TDP Municipal floor leader V.S. Prasad, CPI (M), CPI and CPI (ML) district secretaries M.Krishna Murty, P. Kameswara Rao and D. Verma respectively, Samata representative Bhanumathi and a number of tribal farmers were present.

Indifference

Mr. Ashok Gajapathi Raju said that mining bauxite in Eastern Ghats would disturb catchments of rivers and basins. Furthermore, the emission of pollutants such as red mud, fly ash and fluoride from alumina factory would have an adverse impact on River Gosthani on which Visakhapatnam City, Vizianagaram and Bhimili towns were depending for drinking water in addition to 16,000 acres of cultivable lands in 45 villages. More importantly, he said the people in the 15 to 20 km radius of the factory would suffer from respiratory, skin and deformities.

Though, 96 per cent of the people at the public hearing held in June last year opposed the factory the Congress Government was firm on setting up the factory.

This showed that the government’s indifference to people’s welfare, Mr. Ashok said.

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