By IANS,
Hyderabad : At least one person was killed and two wounded as police opened fire to quell protest against a thermal electricity project in Andhra Pradesh’s Srikakulam district, about 600 km from here, Wednesday, police said.
Police opened fire as protesters resorted to violence while trying to stall foundation stone laying ceremony of 2,000 MW electricity project to be built by Nagarjuna Construction Company (NCC).
The incident took place at Sompeta in Srikakulam district in north coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Dozens of people mostly fishermen barged into the project site and attacked policemen and torched a police vehicle. A policeman sustained head injuries in the stone pelting.
Police and private security guards used batons to disperse the crowd. As the violence continued, police fired at the protesters killing one person and injuring two others.
The local community under the banner of environment protection committee is opposing the project on the ground that it would create ecological imbalance.
The NCC had acquired 972.69 acre of land from Andhra Pradesh Industrial Infrastructure Corporation (APIIC) and purchased the remaining 512 acre from the farmers for the project.