A super critical coal thermal power plant, with a capacity of 1,600 megawatt, was proposed in Ramanathapuram district in 2011 by the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO). The plant was approved by the state the same year. While TANGEDCO is the executing agency, it has contracted Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited for the Boiler, Turbine and Generators project; Larsen and Toubro for the sea water intake and outfall project; and Reliance Infrastructure to implement the remaining project activities.
The plant construction demands acquisition of agricultural and coastal land and proposes to draw sea water through an eight-kilometre pipeline, which would act as a coolant for the thermal unit.
In 2014, public consultation for the proposed project was held, in which individuals and members of various organisations, including the Coastal Action Network, an advocacy and research foundation, expressed their opposition to the construction of the power plant, citing potential damage to agricultural lands, fishing hamlets, mangrove forests and marine life in the Gulf of Mannar biosphere reserve. They say land acquisition for the project will affect the livelihoods of both farmers and fisherfolk.
The project received clearance from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in May 2016 and construction began in July that year. Community collectives - Anti-Uppur Thermal Power Station Struggle Committee and Anaithu Vivasayigal Paadhukappu Nala Sangam - protested to stall the construction. The Madurai bench of the Madras High Court issued a stay order on the construction of the plant, citing that land for the project was acquired using defunct land laws and not according to the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act of 2013.
However, despite the stay order, in the beginning of 2018, a 1.25-kilometre stretch of the proposed pipeline was constructed, which led to further protests by the fishing community in June 2018.
Land Conflict Watch got in touch with a member of the Ramanathapuram district fishing community workers’ union group (a unifying body for all the 119 fishing villages in the district) and with an environmentalist from Poovulagin Nanbargal, an environmental organisation, to gather insights about the ground situation.
At present, project activities have been temporarily suspended following the stay order. TANGEDCO has appealed to the Supreme Court to consider the land acquired for the project as legal as construction has already started. The project completion date was later revised to December 2020.
As of January 2025, the project is yet to take shape despite years of planning. The plant, which was envisioned to meet growing energy demands in the state, remains stalled due to key viability and compliance reports that have not been prepared.
Local communities and environmentalists have expressed concerns about the potential environmental and social impacts of the plant, including land acquisition, pollution, and displacement. While the project’s environmental "de-shuttering" process has been initiated—a move to mitigate certain environmental risks—the broader issues of financial viability and regulatory compliance remain unresolved.
Without these critical steps, the project remains in limbo, causing uncertainty among the affected communities who are caught between the fear of displacement and the delayed execution of the project.
In June 2024, a report by DT Next stated that Tangedco has decided to revive the 1600 MV Uppur project via PPP mode. However, more details are awaited.
The delays in the Uppur Power Plant highlight the challenges of large-scale energy projects in India, where environmental concerns, regulatory bottlenecks, and community rights often clash with development goals. The situation also raises questions about the state’s preparedness to balance energy needs with sustainable development practices.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for more compensation than promised
Refusal to give up land for the project
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Stalling construction of Uppur thermal power plant
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
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?
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?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2020
Whether the Project has been Delayed
Yes
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Agricultural land, Non-agri rural enterprise, Other environmental services
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
12778
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2011
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws
Legislations/Policies Involved
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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.
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.
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.
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.
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.
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:
Use of old/outdated laws
Controversial land acquisition by the government
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Legal Status:
In Court
Status of Case In Court
Pending
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Madras High Court
Case Number
W.P. No. 22448 of 2018; WP(MD) No.9374 of 2020
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Limited, Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Reliance Infrastructure, Larsen and Toubro
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Coastal Action Network; Anti-Uppur Thermal Power Station Struggle Committee; Anaithu Vivasayigal Paadhukappu Nala Sangam
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?
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