The National Green Tribunal, under the aegis of ministry of environment and forests, on Wednesday cancelled the environmental clearances granted to the 2,640MW coal-fired power project of Nagarjuna Construction Company coming up at Sompeta in Srikakulam district of Andhra Pradesh. The . 14,000-crore thermal power project, to come up in two phases of 1,320MW each, has been hanging in fire for nearly two years following violent protests by locals against the project that led to three people getting killed in police firings in July 2010.

New Delhi Reliance Power has made it clear that it will not go ahead with the implementation of its R17,500-crore Krishnapatnam ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Andhra Pradesh unless contracted buyers agree on tariff revision to accommodate the increase in fuel cost from the recent change in the Indonesian coal pricing law.

Sources said that the private developer has invoked the ‘force majeure’ clause of the power purchase agreement (PPA) and served notice on power procurers seeking negotiations for tariff revision.

Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited (BHEL), Tiruchi Complex, achieved a major milestone on Friday with the despatch of the first set of headers for the 2x800 MW power project at Krishnapatnam in Nellore district of Andhra Pradesh.

A.V. Krishnan, Executive Director, flagged off the first set from BHEL's High Pressure Boiler Plant here.

They will have a combined installed capacity of 14,460 MW

Five thermal power stations with a combined installed capacity of 14,460 MW, which is almost equal to the State's existing total capacity, are being established along the Nellore coast. Minister for IT Ponnala Lakshmaiah informed M. Sridhara Krishna Reddy (Congress) in reply to a question in the Assembly that the Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) had allotted 4,510 acres to facilitate their establishment.

The setting up of 63 thermal power plants along the coast line of Andhra Pradesh will place this state in the category of one of the biggest carbon emitters in the world.

The biggest amongst these power stations is the Krishnapatnam power station which claims it will provide electricity to 7 million homes. Dr Babu Rao, a retired chemical engineer formerly with the Indian Institute of Chemical Technology, pointed out,

The company is making arrangements for coal supplies from its subsidiary, PT Madhucon Malaysia, after it secured in-principle clearance for jetty construction. The coal production is expected to begin in January 2012. Madhucon has also been chosen as a preferred bidder in a 300-MW power project in Indonesia.

The power project, being executed through Simhapuri Energy, a company arm, is coming up at Thamminapatnam in Nellore district, close to the Krishnapatnam port. The thermal plant is under execution over three phases of 2x150, 2x150 and 2x660 MW supercritical units.

Andhra Pradesh which has 75 notified special economic zones (SEZs), which is the highest number of SEZs in any State in the country, has attracted investment of about Rs 15,000 crore. These SEZs registered exports of Rs 13,000 crore during the financial year 2010-11 and exports are expected to double during the current financial year, according to statement.

Apart from attracting investment and helping create new infrastructure, these SEZs provided direct employment opportunities to nearly 1.20 lakh people and many more have gained indirect employment.

In neighbouring Karnataka, the Lokayukta report on illegal mining has led to the resignation of B S Yeddyurappa as Chief Minister and put the BJP on the defensive. What has been little talked about, so far, is the report’s mention of the crucial role played by ports in Congress-ruled Andhra Pradesh in the export of illegally mined iron ore.

According to the report, trucks and rail rakes laden with iron ore made their way out of Bellary to Krishnapatnam Port, Kakinada Port and Visakhapatnam Port, via Anantapur and Kadapa, in Andhra.

The nexus between officials of groundwater, mines and geology wing and the sand mafia came to light when the ZP chairman, Mr K.Govardhan Reddy, produced a book of nearly 212 pages containing copies of various communications, government orders and court rulings before media persons here on Tuesday.

The documents clearly indicated violation of rules and regulations by the departments concerned an

Jan. 7: MLAs of Prakasam district objected to the laxity of Rural Water Supply (RWS) officials in providing drinking water facility in government schools. They demanded severe action against officials during the district-level vigilance and monitory committee meet here on Friday. MLAs, Messrs G.V. Seshu, A. Krishnamohan, K. Narayana Reddy, Y. Suresh and G.