This kind of project cannot be executed without the consent of local people (a village level assembly called "Gram Sabha"). Therefore, a public hearing for environmental impact assessment of the project was held on January 10, 2014 at the proposed site of the project [1]. It was noted that out of the 19 villages under the Chamakhandi panchayat, only the people of two villages —Narayanpur and Hariapalli — are opposing the project [2].

However, the public hearing was not conducted in unbiased manner. The voice of unwilling land owners were not heard (see link to the video below). Hence a demand was made for re-conducting public hearing on environmental impact assessment of the project. This demand was made by the activists of three organizations namely; Jan Surakshya Manch (JSM), Lokshakti Abhiyan and All India Khet Mazdoor Sabha (AIKMS). Leaders of these three organisations alleged that the common man who would be affected by the plant was kept away from the first public hearing held on Jan 10, 2014. Leaders of these organizations alleged that the police and administration worked to ascertain expression of views only in support of the proposed plant [2].

Environmental activist expressed their concern around the environmental assessment report prepared for this plant. They claimed it is defective. Firstly, the thermal power plant was proposed in a dense residential area where peoples’ major livelihood is agriculture. Secondly, in the environmental assessment report the proposed land was mentioned as barren land where as the land is a cultivable land and has cashew, kewra and other plantations. Thirdly, use of ground water from a proposed 400 ft. deep tube wells will lead to severe depletion of ground water in the area. [2] Most participants at the public hearing, in fact, expressed fear that the groundwater would be depleted if the power plant used bore well water. Moreover, fly ash generated from the power plant will be another problem may affect their livelihood.

The company responded that they will install a rainwater harvest unit to recharge the ground water. Also, they promise that the plant will will be a non-polluting one because the plant will use modern technology and will use imported coal from Indonesia with low carbon content. The coal is supposed to have six per cent ash content in comparison to Indian coal, which has forty per cent ash [3].

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