KAKINADA GAS PROJECT HEARING POSTPONED

The state authorities have put off the environmental public hearing for the gas import project proposed by the private operator of Kakinada deep water port.

The Kakinada Sea Ports Limited, in partnership with Shell Gas and Reliance (Anil Dhirubhai Ambani Group), had proposed a Liquefied Natural Gas project (import, storage, regassification and distribution) with a capacity of 10 million tonnes per annum.

The JV project of KSPL made quick moves on the project and got the public hearing scheduled for May 21, even as the top brass of the state administration delayed a similar project proposed in the public sector by state-run A P Gas Distribution Corporation and Gas Authority of India Limited.

Sources told this newspaper that the East Godavari district administration decided to indefinitely postpone the public hearing in view of the law-andorder situation. There has been resistance from the people to the KSPL’s expansion project, a senior district official pointed out.

District collector Neetu Prasad took a decision regarding this and conveyed it to the environmental engineer of the A.P. Pollution Control Board who had earlier issued a notification for the public hearing.

The KSPL in its environmental impact assessment report submitted to the authorities concerned, stated that its existing cargo handling is 10.83 MTPA and the proposed project will bring in 10 MTPA. The LNG import project will be executed in two phases. The project falls in the area encompassing Indrapalem, Suryaraopet and Vakalapudi panchayat limits.

Meanwhile, outgoing chief secretary Mrs Minnie Mathew finally cleared the file relating to the signing of an MoU for the state-proposed floating RLNG import facility. Chief Minister N. Kiran kumar Reddy recently held a highlevel meeting and put a 15day deadline to the signing of the MoU.