Villagers’ protests against NTTPS water contamination became more intense
The call for prompt action to control the fly ash emitted from the Dr. Narla Tata Rao Thermal Power Station (NTTPS) and the resulting increased air pollution and water contamination in the villages of Ibrahimpatnam mandal is becoming louder.
The residents said that after bringing the matter to their attention for the previous three months, the agitation, which demanded that the power plant management find a long-term solution for the safe disposal of fly ash, remained unanswered.
At a meeting with power plant officials on Friday, the villagers requested that they guarantee the pollution-affected villages’ access to clean drinking water until the management found a long-term solution for the safe disposal of fly ash. They also requested that regular medical camps be held to help the affected villagers.
Recall that in February, villagers and other organizations initiated protests against the power plant management and their careless practice of disposing of fly ash in neighboring ponds, backed by members of NTTPS Pollution Niyanthrana Porata Samithi.
The residents of Elaprolu, Kethanakonda, Kondapalli, Kottur, and Guntupalli recently made submissions to the relevant authorities, asking them to take prompt action in order to provide a long-term solution for the pollution.
The nearby communities close to the factory have dangerously low air quality. As a consequence of drinking tainted water, this has led to respiratory issues and kidney-related illnesses, according to Raghava Rao, an Elaprolu resident.
He said that groundwater in the surrounding villages has been poisoned by fly ash dumped in the pond, endangering the health of the locals.
The majority of the people in Kethanakonda, Donabanda, and Jupudi are most negatively impacted by the water pollution—more than 50% of them. Villager Janaki Ramayya of Kethanakonda requested, “The officials need to supply water by installing a water treatment plant and support us with medical needs immediately.”
