Nano-chemical factory to affect Nandyal bypoll

Kurnool: The shadow of nano-che-micals factory at Kondajutur looms large on the poll prospects of the Telugu Desam in the prestigious Nandyal byelection as entrepreneur Shanti-ram commands sizeable Kapu votes in the constituency.

Set to be grounded in fertile land in the perennially drought-prone Rayalaseema region, the Rs 1,100-crore factory will be a ‘killer’ monument that would pollute Kundu river, which flows thro-ugh Kurnool and Kadapa districts before joining river Pennar, Rayalase-ema Parirakshana Sam-iti (RPS) president Byre-ddy Rajasekhar Reddy said.

He said the factory would have a disastrous impact on the future generations as cancerous elements emanated from the factory would play havoc with the lives of the people on the banks of river Kundu in Kurnool district. 

Shantiram, an entrepreneur who has set up a medical college and engineering colleges, was said to have been approached by home minister Nimmakayala Chinnarajappa and municipal administration minister P. Narayana as he belongs to the same social status to lend his support to the party in the upcoming election, source said. 

It was reportedly said if the ruling party extends all support in rolling out the factory, he would consider the request of the ruling party. 

Just as factories belonging to T.G. Venkatesh (a powerful politician-cum-businessman who has a sizeable influence in the judiciary, police and government) on the banks of river Handri were embroiled in legal maze for polluting virgin lands, Shantiram is emerging as his other version to do a repeat on river Kundu, a CPM leader alleged.

It is learnt that the hazardous chemical factory lacked environmental, forest and Central Pollu-tion Control Board clearances and officials had not conducted any public hearing to gauge the public opinion or three mandatory gram sabhas. 

Byreddy Rajasekhar Reddy, who vociferously opposed the secret adva-nces in setting up the factory, advised the government to set up the nano-chemical factory in Amaravati or Guntur. 

Mr Rajasekhar Reddy questioned the rationale of the hazardous factory being set up in Kurnool district, while IT industries were proposed in the capital region.

He recalled that gram panchayats of Kondaju-tur, Balapanur, Voddigandla and Rasullapet had passed unanimous resolutions opposing moves to set up the nano-chemical factory in their areas.

Nano-Chemical Indu-stry Vyatireka Porata Samiti president G. Balaswamy has submitted copies of the panchayat resolutions and a large bunch of representations of villagers to the district magistrate.

Mr Rajasekhar Reddy said the factory would lead to pollution of Kon-dajutur and Voddigandla tanks and affect the Gora-kallu reservoir and Srisa-ilam Right Branch Canal in the vicinity. The pollutants emanating from the factory would affect 1,500 acres of cultivable land under Kodajutur tank, 1,000 acres under Voddigandla tank and 2,000 acres irrigated by Gorakallu reservoir.