Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project

Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project is a 1320-megawatt (MW) coal plant under construction in Andhra Pradesh, India.

See also Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos

Location
The map below shows the location of the proposed project according to Wikimapia.

Background
Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project consists of two phases, each 1320 MW. The project is sponsored by East Coast Energy.

Project Details
Sponsor: East Coast Energy Location: Kakarapalli village, Santhabommali mandal, Srikakulam district, Andhra Pradesh Coordinates: 18.5213851, 84.2393124 (exact) Status: Phase I: construction; Phase II: deferred Nameplate capacity: Phase I: 2 units of 660 MW each; Phase II: 2 units of 660 MW each. Total: 2640 MW Type: Supercritical Projected in service: Coal Type: Coal Source: Estimated annual CO2: 15,612,170 tons added Source of financing:

Cronyism Charges
According to The Times of India, the chairman of East Coast Energy is T Sankarlingnam, former chairman of National Thermal Power Corporation. One of the directors of East Coast Energy, P Balraj, previously served as chairman of the union environment ministry's expert appraisal committee for thermal and coal power projects at the time that Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project received its clearances.

One blogger wrote that the project was a product of "crony capitalism":
 * The 2640 MW Bhavanapadu coal-based thermal power plant near Kakarlapalli is being developed by East Coast Energy Private Limited (ECEPL). If you look out for the promoters of this company in their website, you would find that Athena Energy Ventures Pvt Ltd (AEVPL), AIP Power Pvt Ltd (AIP) and PTC India Financial Services Ltd are among them. All these 3 promote another company Athena Demwe Power Limited for a hydro-electric project in Arunchal Pradesh. If you look at the board of directors of this company, you find a certain Mr. A. Balraj. Mr Balraj is a retired IAS officer and more interestingly, the chairman of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), the same which recommended the environmental clearance for the Kakarapalli!

The following details of this Environmental clearance are available on the website of Ministry of Environment & Forests.
 * Project No: J- 13011/36/ 2008-IA II(T)
 * Project Name: 2640 MW Bhavanapadu TPP near Kakrapalli Village
 * District:Sri Kakulam
 * Village:no
 * Company:M/s East Coast Energy Pvt. Ltd.
 * Application for EC received: 18/03/2008
 * EC Approved: 09/04/2009

February 2011: Two killed, 25 injured in clashes
On February 28, 2011, in a set of clashes sparked by construction of Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project, police in Srikakulam fired into villagers, killing two people and injuring nearly 25 others. During the previous July, two people were killed in violence related to a separate proposed coal plant in the same district. The dead were identified as Sirapu Yerraiah (36) of Sirapuvani Peta and J. Nageswara Rao (35) of Akashalakkavaram. At least two of the injured were hit at close range with rubber bullets. Police used guns, teargas, and lathis against villagers, who used stones and sticks. After police threw smoke bombs in Vadditandra village, 50 houses were gutted. A police jeep was burned by villagers.

April 2011: Villagers at Kakrapalli mark 238 days of relay hunger strike
According to a report by the environmental television feature program Save India's Coast, villagers at Kakrapalli were continuing a relay hunger strike in order to raise pressure on governmental officials to finally cancel the Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project. The broadcast showed footage of houses damaged by smoke bombs during the police attack on town of Kakrapalli.

For a comprehensive set of links to TV news bulletins on the police crackdown in Srikakulam and the political debate over the project see Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos.

Related SourceWatch articles

 * Bhavanapadu Thermal Power Project/Videos
 * East Coast Energy
 * India and coal
 * Proposed coal plants in India

External articles

 * "How Crony Capitalism Lead to the Kakarapalli tragedy," The Argumentatitve Indian, March 1, 2011