Anrak Aluminium project gets opposition

Visakhapatnam: The proposal of the Anrak Aluminium Ltd to set up an aluminium complex consisting of an alumina refinery and a smelter in Makavarapalem mandal of Visakhapatnam district met with almost total opposition at a public hearing at Rachapalli village in the mandal.

The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board conducted the public hearing, presided over by the Joint Collector, Mr. Veerabrahmaiah, amidst heavy police deployment.

The venue was surrounded by the police and checks were conducted on all the routes to the village. All the political parties, barring the ruling Congress Party, condemned “the undemocratic manner” in which the public hearing was held.

The Anrak representatives and the technical consultant explained to the public that a 1.5 million tonnes per annum alumina refinery and an aluminium smelter with 0.25 mtpa would be set up, along with a gas-based power unit of 90 MWs, at an estimated cost of Rs 8,000 crore.

The project would generate 2,000 jobs directly and roughly 15,000 indirectly and the latest technologies would be employed to dispose off red mud generated in the production process. The consultant said that 5,800 tonnes of red mud would be generated every day and the slurry would be stored safely in an area allocated for it and geo-membrane lining would be used to prevent seepage into the ground and contamination of groundwater in the surrounding villages.

The company representative said that out of the project cost nearly Rs 500 crore would be spent on pollution control and therefore there was no need for any apprehensions on that count.

Ch. Ayyanna Patrudu, the local MLA belonging to the Telugu Desam party, said the land for the project was acquired by the Government by “dubious methods”, stating at first that a special economic zone would be set up and later converted into an industrial park.

“It is doubtful whether the refinery and smelter will come up at all, as the Andhra Pradesh Mineral Development Corporation, which has to supply the bauxite, has not obtained any clearances for mining in the Jerrela block.

Meanwhile, farmers have been robbed of their lands, at the cheap rate of Rs 4 lakhs per acre,” he alleged. He also expressed doubts over the pollution control measures and said the refinery would prove ruinous to the surrounding environs.

Mr M.V.S Sarma (CPI-M) raised objections to the manner in which the public hearing was being held and said there was “no legal sanctity to a public hearing conducted in such a manner.” He wanted a fresh notification issued and a fresh hearing conducted.

Mr G. Ramamurthy Naidu, Chairman of the Visakhapatnam Zilla Parishad, and a few Congress leaders made an attempt to defend the project, but they were interrupted, as there was a hue and cry.

After recording the views of two women opposing the project, the Joint Collector put an end to the hearing. Mr V.S Krishna, Convener of the Human Rights Forum, complained that the public hearing lasted hardly two hours and he was not given an opportunity to speak.