Kakinada SEZ, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Auro Infra Realty and Infrastructure, will set up a Rs 1,310 crore desalination plant at Kona Village in Andhra Pradesh’s Kakinada district.

The proposed facility, with a capacity of 3x50 million litres per day (MLD), aims to supply treated seawater to industries and the nearby port, thereby reducing dependence on freshwater and groundwater sources. The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) under the Ministry of Forests has recommended Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the project, with several environmental safeguards.

The plant will draw 380 MLD of seawater through two intake pipelines and discharge 230 MLD of brine back into the sea via an outfall pipeline. The EAC has mandated that the company assist in developing a prototype system to reuse brine discharge, helping reduce marine pollution. Kakinada SEZ will also allocate Rs 10 crore for environmental protection, monitoring, and mitigation efforts.

Established for industrial development in the Kakinada Special Economic Zone, the SEZ will require reappraisal in case of any project scope changes, according to the EAC recommendations.