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Yadadri Thermal Plant in Telangana Gets Approval Despite Controversial Environmental Clearance

Reported by

Seethalakshmi

Legal Review by

Edited by

Updated by

Published on

October 12, 2016

May 17, 2022

Edited on

October 12, 2016

State

Telangana

Sector

Power

People Affected by Conflict

12014

Households Affected by Conflict

Land Area Affected (in Hectares)

915

ha

Starting Year

2015

Location of Conflict

Dameracherla Mandal

Nalgonda

Reason or Cause of Conflict

Thermal Power Plant

Land Conflict Summary

The Yadadri thermal power plant is an upcoming project in Veerlapalem, a village in Dameracherla mandal in Nalgonda district. This coalbased thermal plant is expected to generate about 4,000 megawatt of power and is being built by the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGENCO), in partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a public sector company. The total land proposed to be acquired for the power plant is 5,558 acres, of which 4,656 acres is forestland. The power plant is proposed to be built in an area covering around 2,800 acres. The plant is estimated to displace 2,503 families who own 2,260 acres of the acquired land. Demanding land and employment as compensation, in May 2015, village residents obstructed officials from constructing a pylon for the power plant. They also vandalised a construction workers' shed and set it on fire. Previously, they had also objected to surveying the lands and voiced opposition to the project during Village Assembly (gram sabha) hearings. In October 2016, the Expert Appraisal committee (EAC) asked TSGENCO to conduct a public hearing all over again, dissatisfied with it's Environmental Impact Assessment report. The report excluded various possible effects and did not reflect reality, according to the EAC. The committee asked TSGENCO to completely redo the assessment, along with a fresh public hearing. In May 2017, the EAC approved the project, and in September 2017, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao extended compensation to farmers and reportedly rehabilitated them. However, the problem persisted. In October 2018, Congress leader Komatireddy Venkata Reddy promised to shut down the project if voted to power. Interestingly, in December 2019, the Telangana government exempted the project from conducting the Social Impact Assessment for acquiring additional land for infrastructural facilities, despite it being a necessary step in the procedure. The plant is set to be commissioned in October 2021, but the status of compensation remains uncertain.

Fact Sheet

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for promised compensation

Demand for employment

Demand for rehabilitation

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest and Non-Forest

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)

Status of Project

Original Project Deadline

Whether the Project has been Delayed

Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users

Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict

Source/Reference

Total investment involved (in Crores):

29965

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Legal Data

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Telangana Amendment) Act, 2016
Chapter II [Determination of social impact and public purpose was not carried out as an exemption was provided]; Section 21 [Notice to persons interested]; Section 23 [Enquiry and land acquisition award by collector based on the compensation determined under Section 27]; Section 25 [Award by collector must be made within 12 months from date of publication of declaration]; Section 26 [Criteria for assessment and determination of market value of land by collector]; Section 27 [Determination of amount of compensation]; Section 28 [Parameters to be considered by collector in determination of award]; Section 31(1) [Rehabilitation and resettlement award for affected families by collector]; Section 77 [Payment of compensation or deposit of same in Authority]; Second Schedule Point 4 [employment will be part of the rehabilitation package]
Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
Section 2 [Restriction on the de-reservation of forests or use of forestland for nonforest purpose without the prior approval of the Central government]
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Section 7(i)(III) [This section provides for public consultation and the process to be followed for environmental clearance for new projects]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Violation of environmental laws

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Additional Information

Nature of Protest

Blockades

Property damage/arson

Objections as part of official procedures

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO)

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Human Rights Forum, Yadadri Thermal Plant Bhu Nirvasitula Committee, Congress Party, Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India

Information on the use of criminal law

What was the action taken by the police?

How many people did the police detain or arrest?

What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?

Did the person face any violence while in police custody?

If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?

If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?

Legislation under which the accused was charged

Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?

In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?

Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?

Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?

Resources

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Images

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Video

The Yadadri thermal power plant is an upcoming project in Veerlapalem, a village in Dameracherla mandal in Nalgonda district. This coalbased thermal plant is expected to generate about 4,000 megawatt of power and is being built by the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGENCO), in partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a public sector company. The total land proposed to be acquired for the power plant is 5,558 acres, of which 4,656 acres is forestland. The power plant is proposed to be built in an area covering around 2,800 acres. The plant is estimated to displace 2,503 families who own 2,260 acres of the acquired land. Demanding land and employment as compensation, in May 2015, village residents obstructed officials from constructing a pylon for the power plant. They also vandalised a construction workers' shed and set it on fire. Previously, they had also objected to surveying the lands and voiced opposition to the project during Village Assembly (gram sabha) hearings. In October 2016, the Expert Appraisal committee (EAC) asked TSGENCO to conduct a public hearing all over again, dissatisfied with it's Environmental Impact Assessment report. The report excluded various possible effects and did not reflect reality, according to the EAC. The committee asked TSGENCO to completely redo the assessment, along with a fresh public hearing. In May 2017, the EAC approved the project, and in September 2017, Chief Minister K. Chandrashekhar Rao extended compensation to farmers and reportedly rehabilitated them. However, the problem persisted. In October 2018, Congress leader Komatireddy Venkata Reddy promised to shut down the project if voted to power. Interestingly, in December 2019, the Telangana government exempted the project from conducting the Social Impact Assessment for acquiring additional land for infrastructural facilities, despite it being a necessary step in the procedure. The plant is set to be commissioned in October 2021, but the status of compensation remains uncertain.

Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Demand for promised compensation

Demand for employment

Demand for rehabilitation

Opposition against environmental degradation

Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community

Region Classification

Rural

Type of Land

Both

Type of Common Land

Forest and Non-Forest

Total investment involved (in Crores):

29965

Type of investment:

Cost of Project

Year of Estimation

Page Number In Investment Document:

Has the Conflict Ended?

When did it end?

Why did the conflict end?

Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict

Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Laws

Legislations/Policies Involved

Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement (Telangana Amendment) Act, 2016
Chapter II [Determination of social impact and public purpose was not carried out as an exemption was provided]; Section 21 [Notice to persons interested]; Section 23 [Enquiry and land acquisition award by collector based on the compensation determined under Section 27]; Section 25 [Award by collector must be made within 12 months from date of publication of declaration]; Section 26 [Criteria for assessment and determination of market value of land by collector]; Section 27 [Determination of amount of compensation]; Section 28 [Parameters to be considered by collector in determination of award]; Section 31(1) [Rehabilitation and resettlement award for affected families by collector]; Section 77 [Payment of compensation or deposit of same in Authority]; Second Schedule Point 4 [employment will be part of the rehabilitation package]
Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980
Section 2 [Restriction on the de-reservation of forests or use of forestland for nonforest purpose without the prior approval of the Central government]
Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006
Section 7(i)(III) [This section provides for public consultation and the process to be followed for environmental clearance for new projects]
  1. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  2. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  3. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  4. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  5. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  6. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

  7. Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

    Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.

Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute

What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?

What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?

Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:

Forced evictions/dispossession of land

Violation of environmental laws

Non-rehabilitation of displaced people

Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation

Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act

Legal Status:

Out of Court

Status of Case In Court

Whether any adjudicatory body was approached

Name of the adjudicatory body

Name(s) of the Court(s)

Case Number

Main Reasoning/Decision of court

Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:

No items found.

Whether criminal law was used against protestors:

Reported Details of the Violation:

Date of Violation

Location of Violation

Nature of Protest

Blockades

Property damage/arson

Objections as part of official procedures

Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:

Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO)

PSUs Involved in the Conflict:

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited

Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?

Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached

Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:

Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?

Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:

Human Rights Forum, Yadadri Thermal Plant Bhu Nirvasitula Committee, Congress Party, Telugu Desam Party, Communist Party of India

Resources Related to Conflict

  • News Articles Related to the Conflict:
  • Documents Related to the Conflict:
  • Links Related to the Conflict:

Image Credit:  

Image Credit:  

Documented By

Text Link

Reviewed By

Text Link

Updated By

Text Link

Edited By

Text LinkLand Conflict Watch

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