Environmental public hearing on discussion of SCCL's proposed opencast coal mine concludes

PEDDAPALLI: Amidst much chaos, the environmental public hearing to discuss the proposed opencast coal mine of SCCL concluded at the Group Vocational Training Centre (GVTC) in Godavarikhani on Thursday.

The opencast coal mine will be developed by merging five underground mines (1 and 3, 2 and 2A, and 5). According to sources, the proposed mine will also affect Sundilla, Jangaon and Mustyala, in addition to Vittal Nagar and Ram Mandir areas in Godavarikhani.

As a result, the response from the residents of these affected villages was mixed. Manthani MLA D Sridhar Babu, former MLA Somarapu Satyanarayana and other public representatives attended the hearing and raised the grievances of these villagers. 

Additional Collector V Laxminarayana, SCCL RG-1 general manager K Narayana and PCB EE K Ravi Das attended the meeting and addressed the concerns.  

In the meantime, the villagers demanded that the SCCL authorities provide proper medical attention to them, on par with what they extend to their staffers, at the Area Hospital.

The villagers pointed out that they were reeling under health issues owing to pollution from Singareni mines. They also demanded that the company provide basic amenities and jobs to the locals.

Meanwhile, the residents of Lingampalli, affected by the OCP-4, grilled the authorities for failing to keep promises made to them about four years back. The Addl Collector intervened and pacified them. SCCL authorities assured to bring the notice of higher officials to the matter and resolve it soon.