Residents opposed to the construction of an ash pond near their villages have halted operations at the NTPC thermal power plant in Darlipali, Sundargarh district.
Local inhabitants from Barobaga and Alupada blocked transportation routes to the plant, insisting on proper rehabilitation that was previously promised.
Reports indicate that the villagers have been protesting their demands for some time. Frustrated by the lack of response from the authorities, they decided to shut down both the plant and the ash pond operations. Police have been deployed in the area to manage the situation.
The NTPC has acquired nearly 70% of agricultural land in Barobaga and Alupada for the Darlipali Thermal Power Project. However, instead of fully relocating the affected residents, the company has built an ash pond near their homes. This has raised serious environmental and health issues, as pollution is impacting farming and leading to increased instances of respiratory, cardiac, and kidney diseases in the community. Moreover, the heavy vehicle traffic has resulted in frequent accidents.
Recently, a team from the Central Electrical Authority (CEA) visited Darlipali to assess the ash pond and the power plant. The NTPC project, which boasts a power generation capacity of 3,200 MW across four units, has faced criticism for acquiring land without adequately compensating or resettling the residents. The villagers have called on the central team to take immediate action to acquire the remaining land and relocate them.
The protests escalated today, with villagers gathering outside the plant to demand justice. Sundargarh MLA Jogesh Kumar Singh and youth leader Himanshu Shekhar Sarangi came to the protest site to show their support. Sub-Collector Dasarathi Sarabu also engaged in talks with the demonstrators to address their grievances.
