Green nod for 800 mw expansion unit likely to be delayed further

The process of securing environmental clearance for the expansion of Singareni Collieries Company Ltd (SCCL) thermal power project at Pegadapally in Jaipur mandal of Mancherial district is likely to be delayed further with a committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) planning to visit the site to assess provisions made and proposed to meet environmental needs.

An expert appraisal committee of the MoEF which met at New Delhi on November 30 has decided to send a sub-committee to undertake the site visit for assessing various facilities and resources needed for recommending clearance to the project. The five-member expert panel led by Navin Chandra has S.D. Vora, Mohan Karnat and Gururaj Kundargi as members, and a representative of the ministry.

The SCCL has submitted a proposal to the ministry for establishing an 800 MW super critical thermal power plant in the land adjacent to the existing plant of 2×600 MW power plant of the coal company. The company had initially planned to add one more 600 MW unit to the existing two units. However, it was decided to increase the configuration of the new unit to 800 MW in September last year.

Environmental issues

According to officials, the five-member sub-committee of the Ministry will visit the project site for assessing the requirement of additional ash pond, avenues for utilisation of ash and filling in abandoned mines, greenbelt development, water availability from Godavari and Pranahita rivers, issues pertaining to wildlife management, decision to arrive at stack height, corporate social responsibility activities carried out till date, the need for shifting of Pegadapalli village due to pollution caused by the existing project and others.

The expert committee deferred the proposal of 800 MW super critical thermal power plant for environmental clearance asking the project proponent, SCCL, to submit an action plan for the observations made from environmental perspective. The public hearing for the new plant was held in March this year.

Unkept promises

It is understood that the expert committee has pointed out the failure of SCCL in fulfilling the assurance given to families that one person from each family that lost their lands in the project would be provided employment. People of four surrounding villages — Pegadapally, Jaipur, Elakanti and Gangipally — were facing pollution due to the existing plant and they were to be given free power supply. Relocation of the Pegadapally village requested by the people is also yet to be finalised.