Activists, public oppose thermal plant at Ennore

They have demanded cancellation of public hearing scheduled for January 6

Environmental activists and the people of north Chennai have urged the government to scrap its proposal to set up a 660 MW thermal power station at Ennore. They have cited a warning given by officials that the plant would affect the health of residents of a slum resettlement project that was under construction.

They have sought cancellation of a public hearing proposed on January 6, 2022, for the power plant. Addressing the press here on Wednesday, they presented an agenda note tabled at the CMDA meeting in November 2018 seeking to reclassify a hazardous use zone in Ernavur to a residential zone to accommodate the residential flats. The note, they said, mentioned two letters warning of pollution, one from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board and another from Tangedco.

The proposed plant would burn between 6,312 and 7,642 tonnes of coal daily and generate up to 1,972 tonnes of ash, pointed out activists of Save Ennore Creek campaign. They said the latest proposal was unnecessary since the policy note states that thermal power plants in the State operated at less than 56% of their capacity last year.