Fertile fields or solar factory: a verdant land facing an industrial leap

The Hindu

2 days ago

Karedu in Ulavapadu mandal of SPSR Nellore district is a picturesque coastal village dotted with temples, ponds and lush greenery. Lying close to Manneru Vaagu and Buckingham Canal, it's been an tourist hotspot and houses the renowned Bommidala Guest House.
Despite having tap connections supplying drinking water, most residents here continue to rely on wells and borewells throughout the year as the groundwater, available from just 15 feet below the surface, remains potable.
For generations, residents of the village have reliably counted on the fertile soil, harvesting three crops a year. Apart from cultivating paddy, groundnut and cotton, they also grow vegetables and fruits, predominantly mango, sapota, coconut and banana.
Most of the vegetables grown here are supplied to the neighbouring cities whereas some varieties of mango and sapota are exported. Those who don't own land either work as labourers on agricultural fields or shrimp farms.
Today, however, the hardworking residents of Karedu are a worried lot. It's root: a government announcement of plans to establish an integrated solar photovoltaic (SPV) module manufacturing plant of Indosol Solar Private Ltd. (ISPL), a subsidiary of Kadapa-based Shirdi Sai Electricals Ltd. (SSEL), at Karedu. They fear that the fertile tracts of their village would be acquired to establish the manufacturing facility, robbing them of a lifestyle they long to preserve.
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During the tenure of the previous YSRCP government, ISPL had been given land at Chevuru village in Gudluru mandal near Ramayapatnam port, where it built a plant on 114.5 acres. After the Coalition government came to power, however, the land parcels in the same village were offered to Bharat Petroleum Corporation Ltd. for its greenfield refinery project worth ₹95,000 crore.
As per G.O. no. 43, dated March 25, the government has instead allotted 8,348 acres to ISPL at Karedu for its ₹69,000-crore 30 gigawatt (GW) SPV module manufacturing plant, which, it is said, would generate 13,050 jobs. Other than offering financial incentives, the government has also allocated water supply from Karedu, Cheruru and Chennapalayam ponds.
Subsequently, Nellore district administration issued a preliminary notification for land acquisition in Karedu through A.P. Industrial Infrastructure Corporation Ltd. (APIIC). The district officials recently organised a grama sabha, but, according to sources, a majority of the residents refused to give up their land, with only 10% agreeing to the proposal.
'The officials are currently planning to acquire 4,000 acres while the company is looking for 20,000 acres,' says M. Srinivasulu, a resident. The elderly farmer alleged that the company gave jobs to a few people at its existing plant near Ramayapatnam but removed them within a couple of months. 'Though we are not educated, we earn a living from agriculture. If they take away our land, we will struggle to live,' he said.
P. Durga Rao, a fisherman-activist from Muthukuru village, said there are around 800 families belonging to fisherfolk communities in and around Karedu. 'Most are illiterates but earn a minimum of ₹1,000 a day by fishing. We can't trust a private company to offer a salary package matching our current income,' he adds.
'The fisherfolk of Middirevu and Gummaladibba villages in Chilakuru mandal of combined Nellore district, who had been given jobs at Krishnapatnam Port, couldn't be skilled and couldn't understand the deductions in their salaries. They left their jobs at the port within a year. Karedu fisherfolk may face a similar situation at the new plant of ISPL,' he adds.
The farmers and fisherfolk have been staging a number of protests in the village. The leaders from various organisations and political parties, including former Chief Minister and YSRCP president Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy, have visited the village and promised their support to the protests.
Opposing the land acquisition bid, Yanadi Welfare Association State president K.C. Penchalayya said that the government should give up the idea of offering land to the company, threatening to escalate the protest.
The district administration, however, hope to resolve the problems. District Collector O. Anand said the farmers can submit their objections to him or to the Special Deputy Collector. 'We will conduct grama sabha and resolve all their issues. There are about 12,000 acres in the village, but we plan to acquire less than 5,000 acres. However, we are not going to touch the three-crop land parcels close to the Buckingham Canal and the sea,' he says.
He said they are trying to minimise the acquisition of fertile land parcels. 'Out of the 19 habitations in Karedu village with a combined population of 14,000, we are planning to displace only three habitations – Upparapalem, Pollukatta Yanadisangam and Ramakrishnapuram, which has 350 families with around 1,500 population.
Based on the Land Acquisition Act, compensation will be provided to the land owners at 2.5 times the market rate. This apart, the government will give the evicted a house on 5 cents of land in a new colony and ₹6.5 lakh as a part of the Rehabilitation and Resettlement package. 'We will also take their feedback and consider their preferences,' says the Collector.
'We may give a compensation of ₹12.5 lakh per acre for wet and dry land and ₹17.5 lakh per acre of orchard. We may negotiate further in the discussions with the farmers. The proposed plant is likely to benefit 33,000 people, by offering direct jobs to 13,050 and indirect employment to the rest. We are also initiating skill development programmes for the local people,' he adds.
Study on social impact
A fact-finding team of Human Rights Forum (HRF) A.P. State Committee, Rashtra Chenatha Jana Samakhya (RCJS) and Matsyakara Sangam recently visited the village and prepared a report on the overall impact of the proposed project. They also pointed out the government's decision to waive off the Social Impact Assessment (SIA) requirements for this project.
HRF A.P. State general secretary Y. Rajesh questioned the government for exempting the conduct of the SIA before land acquisition. 'Does ISPL has the technical capabilities to manufacture everything from quartz-to-modules. How can the government help a private company that has no track record in taking up such a crucial and complex project,' he asks.
'In India, most solar companies import cells and assemble them into modules. This vertically integrated SPV plant is the first of its kind. ISPL initially had plans to reach 10 GW of module manufacturing in three phases. To produce 10 GW of modules, about 30,000 tonnes of polysilicon is required and the processing of silicon is a highly polluting activity,' the HRF member points out.
Asked about the company's current capacity utilisation, ISPL CEO Sharat Chandra said they are manufacturing 0.5 GW solar modules at the plant built on the 114.5 acres in Chevuru village near Ramayapatnam port. 'We are going to achieve one GW of ingot-to-module manufacturing capacity by the end of this fiscal year.'
Speaking about the employment, he said: 'Currently, about 200 people work at the plant. They were offered skill development training. Once we enhance the manufacturing capacity, more people will be offered jobs. To move forward, we don't have the land. Out of the total requirement of 8,348 acres, about 4,800 acres should have been provided in the first phase.'
On the need for such vast tracts of land, Sharat said: 'An integrated SPV plant, which manufactures the complete solar supply chain, including ingot/wafer, cell and module, needs a huge chunk of land. Moreover, 33% of the overall project area must be earmarked for developing greenery. So, nearly 2,500-3,000 acres will be dedicated to the green cover.'
To a question on the government's decision to relocate the project, he said that he was not personally in favour of relocation as they had already begun operations near Ramayapatnam port and that the company was unable to assess capital expenditure on the land owing to the change in the plan.