Khammam (Sathupalli): The residents of Kistaram village in Sathupalli mandal are demanding the immediate relocation of the coal handling plant (CHP) silo bunker operated by Singareni Collieries Company Limited (SCCL), citing severe health risks and environmental pollution.

Erected four years ago near Ambedkar Colony, the silo bunker has led to an alarming increase in health issues among locals. Residents report cases of lung damage, respiratory disorders, blindness, kidney failure, and other severe ailments caused by the continuous exposure to coal dust.

According to M Nageswara Rao, a local, several villagers have already lost their lives due to these condi-tions.

The problem worsens when coal is loaded into railway carriages, as large amounts of dust escape into the air, severely contaminating the surroundings. Despite holding multiple rallies, the SCCL authorities are ignoring the peasants’ demands, he says.

Notably, a relay hunger strike was recently held that completed 15 days on Friday when men of the community staged a half-naked dharna on a road close to the settlement.

Villagers expressed deep resentment, recalling how they donated land to Singareni, believing the project would bring development and employment. Instead, they have been left to battle life-threatening pollu-tion. “How fair is it to make the same people suffer who gave their land for the company’s growth?” questions Rao.

“The authorities and public representatives should step in and remove the silo bunker and save the lives of the people of Kistaram,” adds Kadari Medina, another villager, “Because the villagers cannot handle the pollution.”

A while back, a villager who was diagnosed with lung failure and eventually passed away recorded a vid-eo message claiming that the pollution from the coal handling plant’s bunker was the reason he was go-ing to die.

Meanwhile, the SCCL’s three-bunker coal handling plant at Sathupalli, built at a cost of Rs 398 crore, is also facing structural flaws.

Cracks have developed in the pillars of one of the bunkers, forcing officials to address the issue who are working to fix the architectural flaw.