Nagpur-based consumer activist Anil Wadpalliwar, known for his longstanding battle against air pollution caused by the Koradi and Khaparkheda power plants, has vehemently opposed the addition of two new 660 MW units at the Koradi plant. Wadpalliwar has raised several crucial questions regarding the new units, to which Mahagenco, the state-owned power generation company, has failed to provide satisfactory answers. Concerns are mounting that the two units will only exacerbate pollution in the surrounding areas.
Wadpalliwar’s queries include Mahagenco’s positive report on the Patgowari site in Ramtek taluka for a new power plant, the necessity of the two units given MSEDCL’s plans to increase solar capacity, the absence of Flue Gas Desulfurization (FGD) systems on all three 660 MW units despite directives from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), and Mahagenco’s failure to ensure full fly-ash utilization at Koradi and Khaparkheda plants.
Additionally, Wadpalliwar questions the status of the proposed Dondaicha power plant, the supply of Gare Palma coal to private plants facing operational challenges, the extensive expenditure on the two units despite Koradi plant’s saturation and delays in existing units, and Mahagenco’s ability to control pollution considering its track record with the existing thermal units.
Another activist, Ratnadeep Rangari from Koradi, has filed a petition with the Pune bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to ensure clean coal supply to the Koradi and Khaparkheda plants. However, Mahagenco has reportedly disregarded the NGT’s orders, resulting in severe air pollution and adverse effects on the health of local residents.
As concerns grow over the environmental impact and public health consequences, the opposition against the construction of the two new units at the Koradi plant continues to intensify.
