Visakhapatnam:
Tension prevailed at Simhadri power unit of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) at Parawada in the district on Thursday, when CISF jawans opened fire in the air to disperse protesters staging a sit-in outside the plant, police said.
A large number of fisherfolk from Thikkavankipalem village had gathered outside the unit demanding removal of an NTPC pipeline allegedly releasing factory waste into the sea, thereby affecting their livelihood.
The agitators sought NTPC to either remove the pipeline or provide employment to the community members concerned.
According to police, the CISF jawans guarding the NTPC premises first used lathicharge, however, when the angry mob started pelting stones at them, the CISF jawans fired six rounds in the air to disperse the demonstrators.
A fisherman and a revenue officer (RO) of Mutyalammapalem village were injured during the protest, they said.