YET another case of neighbourhood concerns about pollution and development. The Environment Appellate Authority (EAA) has passed an order May 6, directing the Chemplast Sanmar Ltd., Mettur, to obtain fresh clearance for its captive thermal power plant project. The order came in the wake of a prolonged battle by the local villagers against the construction of the thermal plant which was reportedly developed illegally and was perceived to add to enormous industrial pollution load already affecting residents of Mettur.Chemplast Sanmar had earlier in 2006 obtained consent from the TNPCB for a fuel conversion project, where it claimed that the project was merely a changeover from a sulphur oil to coal based captive power plant with no change in the capacity of 48.5 MW. During an inspection of the plant by the TNPCB in December 2007, the officials discovered that Chemplast was construct ing a new power plant without obtaining the necessary clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forest. A show cause notice was issued to the company followed by an order in January 2008 to stop construction and operation at the plant. The matter was brought to the Environment Appellate Authority on February 5, 2008 when Chemplast Sanmar filed an appeal with the Environment Appellate Authority to vacate the orders of the TNPCB. On March 24, 2008 the TNPCB appealed to the Appellate Au thority seeking directions to dismiss the appeal filed by Chemplast. "Since January 2007 the local villagers have repeatedly informed the authorities of the illegal construction of the thermal plant. The Coal based thermal plant is a new project. It is even located in a new area away from the old captive plant. And they have no clearance for construction of this new power plant", say farmers of the West Gonur Farmers Association, a respondent in the case between Chemplast and TNPCB at the Appellate Authority.