Villagers have urged the Government to reconsider its decision on establishing of a 4.60 lakh tonne capacity calcined petroleum coke plant along with a 25 MW power plant by Sanvira Industries of Hyderabad at Sitampalem in Rambilli mandal of Visakhapatnam district on June 6. Government special team of Petro-Coke Board and revenue officials arrived to collect the public opinion over the proposed petro-coke plant, on Wednesday. They were obstructed by the villagers from doing so as per latest report at 12 noon.

An activist earlier from the Movement for People-Centered Development (MPCD) said the local people were strongly opposing the plant which would cause a lot of damage to the environment, and did not want the public hearing to take place as they did not want the industry.

The MPCD claim that as per a consultant report submitted to the government, only sulphur dioxide would be released. But in fact the industry would release lead, mercury, and polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons which cause heavy damage to health. This unit and a 0.42 million tonne carbon black industry approved in the nearby Pudi village would destroy the environment and a cumulative impact assessment exercise was needed since the petroleum coke plant was proposed in an area which already has many major and pollution-causing industries. (With Inputs from Internet- Aarkay)