Overview
- The High Court declined to impose an interim stay on construction during a petition hearing on Monday but told the state to file a consolidated response from all departments about the project’s approvals.
- Judges pressed officials on whether the environmental clearance covers operations, questioned the project’s water and power needs, and said environmental clearance rules cannot be bypassed.
- The petitioner says roughly 160 acres used for the site belonged to Simhachalam Devasthanam and could not be alienated while the state says the temple authority leased the land to APIIC and will report revenue details.
- Local activists have protested over water supply and wildlife risks and painted public attention on the site’s proximity to Kambalakonda reserve forest; construction began in April and the campus is planned at nearly 1 GW capacity.
- The case is set for further hearing next week and the court’s scrutiny could trigger central environmental review, clarify who must approve the project, and affect when the campus can begin full operations.