The leader of the Tamil National Alliance R Sampanthan said he would take up environmental concerns around the building of a coal-power power plant in Sampur with the Indian High Commission.
“The people of the area have been telling me about the substantial pollution and environmental damage which will be caused and have accused me of not taking any action on it,” said Mr Sampanthan. “A solar powered plant in place of the coal-fired one is very much in my mind.”
Concerns around the environmental impact have been raised for years, ever since the proposal to construct the plant was first floated. In 2011 civil society groups condemned the project as environmentally destructive due to the devastating impact of mercury leakage into the local ecosystem and the wider impact on global warming.
Some 800 families have already reportedly been displaced from their homes to make way for the project.
See our earlier posts:
800 families in Trincomalee displaced for Indo-SL power plant – The Hindu (16 Dec 2013)
Proposed Sampur power plant inspected, by Sampanthan (30 Dec 2011)
India to build power plant on Tamils’ land (21 May 2008)