The Yadadri thermal power plant is an upcoming project in Veerlapalem, a village in Dameracherla mandal in Nalgonda district. This coal-based thermal plant is expected to generate about 4,000 megawatt of power and is being built by the Telangana State Power Generation Corporation (TSGENCO), in partnership with Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited, a public sector company.
The total land proposed to be acquired for the power plant is 5,558 acres, of which 4,656 acres is forest land. The power plant is proposed to be built in an area covering around 2,800 acres. The plant is estimated to displace 2,503 families who own 2,260 acres of the acquired land.
Demanding land and employment as compensation, in May 2015, village residents obstructed officials from constructing a pylon for the power plant. They also vandalised a construction workers' shed and set it on fire. Previously, they had also objected to surveying the lands and voiced opposition to the project during Village Assembly (gram sabha) hearings.
In October 2016, the Expert Appraisal committee (EAC) asked TSGENCO to conduct a public hearing all over again, dissatisfied with it's Environmental Impact Assessment report. The report excluded various possible effects and did not reflect reality, according to the EAC. The committee asked TSGENCO to completely redo the assessment, along with a fresh public hearing.
In May 2017, the EAC approved the project, and in September 2017, Chief Minister K Chandrashekhar Rao extended compensation to farmers and reportedly rehabilitated them. However, the problem persisted. In October 2018, Congress leader Komatireddy Venkata Reddy promised to shut down the project if voted to power.
Interestingly, in December 2019, the Telangana government exempted the project from conducting the Social Impact Assessment for acquiring additional land for infrastructural facilities, despite it being a necessary step in the procedure. The plant is set to be commissioned in October 2021, but the status of compensation remains uncertain.
In February 2024, Scientists for People, a collective of retired scientists, analysed the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report by the TSGENCO, and pointed out that the faulty assessment report has resulted in understatement of pollution. However, environment clearance was granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on 25 April 2024. A few weeks later, the firm took up the boiler light-up of two units on 14 May 2024, marking the beginning of staggered commissioning. On 8 December 2024, Telangana CM inaugurated an 800 MW unit of Yadadri Thermal Power Station. In 2025, the first unit of 800 MW was commissioned at the Yadadri plant in Damaracherla.
On 8 January 2026, the fourth unit became operational. The total capacity of the coal-fired YTPS is 4000 MW, comprising five units of 800 MW each. The Yadadri plant now delivers 3,200 MW of power.
Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Demand for promised compensation
Demand for employment
Demand for rehabilitation
Opposition against environmental degradation
Other Demand/Contention of the Affected Community
Region Classification
Rural
Type of Land
Common and Private
Forest and Non-Forest
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Details of sources (names of accused, names and numbers of any lawyers, names of any police officers contacted)
Status of Project
Project underway despite protests
Original Project Deadline
2023
Whether the Project has been Delayed
No
Significance of Land to Land Owners/Users
Residential area
Whether the project was stalled due to land conflict
Source/Reference
Total investment involved (in Crores):
₹
29965
Type of investment:
Cost of Project
Year of Estimation
2015
Has the Conflict Ended?
No
When did it end?
Why did the conflict end?
Categories of Legislations Involved in the Conflict
Land Acquisition Laws, Forest and Scheduled Area Governance Laws, Environmental Law
Legislations/Policies Involved
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Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Suspendisse varius enim in eros elementum tristique. Duis cursus, mi quis viverra ornare, eros dolor interdum nulla, ut commodo diam libero vitae erat. Aenean faucibus nibh et justo cursus id rutrum lorem imperdiet. Nunc ut sem vitae risus tristique posuere.
Whether claims/objections were made as per procedure in the relevant statute
No
What was the claim(s)/objection(s) raised by the community?
What was the Decision of the Concerned Government Department?
Legal Processes and Loopholes Enabling the Conflict:
Violation of environmental laws
Non-implementation/violation of LARR Act
Non-payment of compensation/promised compensation
Non-rehabilitation of displaced people
Legal Status:
Out of Court
Status of Case In Court
Whether any adjudicatory body was approached
Name of the adjudicatory body
Name(s) of the Court(s)
Case Number
Main Reasoning/Decision of court
Major Human Rights Violations Related to the Conflict:
Whether criminal law was used against protestors:
Reported Details of the Violation:
Date of Violation
Location of Violation
Government Departments Involved in the Conflict:
Telangana State Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGENCO)
PSUs Involved in the Conflict:
Bharat Heavy Electricals Limited
Did LCW Approach Government Authorities for Comments?
No
Name, Designation and Comment of the Government Authorities Approached
Corporate Parties Involved in the Conflict:
Did LCW Approach Corporate Parties for Comments?
No
Communities/Local Organisations in the Conflict:
Village residents
What was the action taken by the police?
How many people did the police detain or arrest?
What is the current status of the detained/accused persons?
Did the person face any violence while in police custody?
If any arrests took place, were the accused persons produced before a judge within 24 hours of the arrest?
If the accused was not produced before a magistrate within 24 hours, or not produced at all, what were the reasons?
Legislation under which the accused was charged
Was the accused person informed of their right to legal representation? Did the accused person have access to legal aid?
In cases where the accused person approached the court for bail, was bail granted?
Why was bail granted or rejected? If granted, what were the bail conditions and quantum of bail?
Were there any other notable irregularities that took place, or other significant details?
