Opposition parties protest, while villagers support proposed power plant at Koradi
   Date :30-May-2023

power plant at Koradi  
 
 
Staff Reporter
Opposing the proposed Koradi 2x660 MW Coal based Super Critical Thermal Power Plant, the opposition parties created ruckus at the environment public hearing that was held on Monday at Koradi. Whereas the chiefs of 13 villages situated near the existing thermal power plant in Koradi, supported the proposed plant at the hearing. The event became a noisy affair two three times during the public hearing. Workers of Congress party created ruckus for mismanagement in the event. District collector Dr Vipin Itankar chaired the meeting whereas A M Kare, Regional Officer, Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB) and Umakant Bahadule, Sub Regional Officer (Nagpur Urban), MPCB also shared the dais.
In the beginning, Vishal Muttemwar, General Secretary, City Congress, raised question over the intentions of closing six units of MahaGenco in all over the state and shifting 2x660 MW units in Koradi. He also mentioned that MahaGenco is already using fresh water from Pench for its existing plant and how they electricity generation company is claiming that they will use sewage treated water from Nagpur Municipal Corporation (NMC) for their new plants.
Congress MLA Vikas Thakre raised question on fly ash utilisation by MahaGenco in existing thermal power plant in Koradi.
Like Congress party, Shiv Sena (UBT) and Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) also opposed the project in Koradi during the public hearing. Green activists like Leena Buddhe, Anasuya Kale Chhabrani, Sudhir Paliwal, Dinesh Naidu and others presented some studies and reports conducted on thermal power plants of Koradi and Khaperkheda. The activists appealed to MPCB to deny permission to this project for the betterment of city. With protest against the project by political parties the whole matter is now turn into a political agenda for the opposition where as the ruling party is supporting the proposed plant. Along with this, the confusion about the public hearing was clearly visible among the villagers who raised the demand of their employment in the meeting which was called just for environment conservation purpose. MPCB assured that the board will send the minutes of the meeting to Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) for further decision on the proposed project. District collector assured that the administration is concern about the city’s environment and it will take decision which is better for the city.