The public hearing on the Vizag-Chennai Petro Industrial Corridor held at Rajayyapeta village in Nakapalli went off peacefully on Wednesday, but the locals including fishermen and farmers and leaders of Left parties raised strong objection, pointing out the pollution factor.
The public hearing was organised to ascertain the public opinion on the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report on the proposed project.
The hearing was chaired by Joint Collector Venugopal Reddy and was attended by at least 600 people from the neighbouring villages.
About 30 people including YSRCP Payakraopeta MLA Golla Babu Rao, CPI (M) State secretariat member Ch. Narasinga Rao, CPI leader Dora Babu, former Payakraopeta MLA V. Anitha and others spoke.
Almost all of them raised objection and stated that the project would create environmental problems in the region.
Mr. Baburao cited environment concern and raised the issue of justified compensation to the project evacuees and employment to the locals.
Mr. Narasinga Rao pointed out that the region was already facing a environment crisis from the pharma and chemical industries and the V-CPIC would add up to the woes of the locals.
The fishermen pointed out that due to the pumping of effluents into the sea, the fish catch has already dwindled by over 50% and the new project would diminish it further, rendering them jobless eventually.
Compensation
Many leaders pointed out to the Joint Collector that about 4,422 acres of land was acquired and the compensation was paid for 2,606 acres of patta land only. The locals also demanded that job be provided by the companies who intend to set-up their industries in the region.
Releasing a statement on the public hearing, V.S. Krishna of the Human Rights Forum alleged that the authorities who conducted the survey did not do it properly and in full.
“The Vizag-Chennai Petro Industrial Corridor is a highly destructive enterprise as it would destroy the livelihood of thousands of families especially farmers, farm labourers, artisans and fishermen. The fishing community will lose its natural rights,” he said.
Narsipatnam Sub-Collector Mourya and officers from revenue and Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board attended the public hearing.
