Illegal land leveling work was started by Adani Company in the Adani Anuppur Thermal Power Plant area in Kotma, Anuppur district of Madhya Pradesh. The affected people are strongly opposing this. Welspun Company had acquired about 360 hectares (including 218.53 hectares of agricultural land) from 246 farmers of 4 villages in 2011. However, Welspun failed to set up the plant, and the project was later bought by the Adani Group. Land was also bought from 2 farmers of the village. Now Adani has 371 hectares of land in its possession. In 2024, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MOEFCC) found that Anuppur Thermal Energy (MP) Private Limited, a subsidiary of Adani Power Limited, had applied for new Terms of Reference (ToR) for a 3,200 MW ultra-supercritical coal plant. This changed the configuration from 2 × 660 MW to 4 × 800 MW units.
Silence of local administration in favor of the company –
In the month of April, a notification was issued by the Tehsildar to transfer the acquired land of the farmers from Welspun to Adani Company. The affected farmers and local people opposed this by filing objections in writing. The farmers expressed their opinion and said that they had given their land to Welspun Company and not to Adani Company, so the farmers are demanding to take back their acquired land because the land acquisition was done under the Madhya Pradesh Rehabilitation Policy 2002, according to which if an industry is not set up in 10 years, then that land can be returned to the farmers. But no response is being given by the administration on this.
Not only this, Adani has started land leveling work even though the public hearing held for environmental clearance on May 15 has not been completed. The affected farmers and local people are opposing this move. Adani Company has not accepted the demands of the affected farmers, yet the company has continued the land leveling work, ignoring the concerns of the community. The farmers have complained to the local administration and the Collector about the illegal work, but the officials seem to be favoring Adani, ignoring the complaints of the affected people. After continuous strong protests by the affected farmers, the illegal land leveling work was finally stopped at the Anuppur Thermal Power Plant site. This shows the strength of community resistance.
This is not the first time Adani has been accused of illegal land acquisition and ignoring local rights in Madhya Pradesh. Previous reports have highlighted Adani’s encroachment of public roads and private lands without proper compensation. The project also raises serious environmental concerns, as it is located near important tiger corridors and protected wildlife areas, threatening biodiversity in the region. The affected farmers have been waiting for rehabilitation benefits such as employment and education for 14 years, but have not received any benefits, adding to their difficulties. The affected community has been continuously protesting and demanding that their voices be heard before any further work begins. The fight for justice and environmental protection continues in Anuppur. The ongoing resistance by farmers and local communities is an important step against illegal land acquisition and environmental degradation caused by large coal power projects.
Rising cost of the project –
When Welspun Company received environmental clearance in 2012, the estimated cost of the project was around Rs 7,273.65 crore. Whereas currently the estimated total cost of this project has increased by almost 5 times to Rs 36,600 crore. And the total capital cost fixed for environmental pollution control measures is Rs 5,993 crore. Now the question arises: who is responsible for this increased cost of the project? Will the burden of the fixed cost of this project remain on the common man? The responsible administration is maintaining silence. Clearing of land for this project will be necessary, which will result in the felling of thousands of trees — a move that has given rise to environmental protests. Who is responsible for this environmental damage?
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