Work on the first super critical thermal power project of the Telangana Power Generation Corporation Limited (TSGenco) — the 5 x 800 MW Yadadri Thermal Power Station in Nalgonda district — is likely to take off in the next few weeks with the project getting Environmental Clearance (EC) last week from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
Issuance of the Environmental Clearance , according to official sources, was delayed even after compliance of all necessary reports following hospitalisation of the then Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Environment, Forest and Climate Change A.M. Dave and his subsequent death on May 18 this year.
The project proposal was given green clearance by Harsh Vardhan, who took over as the Minister concerned after that and the Environmental Clearance was issued by the ministry on June 29.
After the terms of reference for processing the EC was issued in November 2015, the project proposal along with necessary compliance reports was submitted for EC in July last year. The Yadadri project was the second major thermal project proposed by the State government, the first one being 4 x 270 MW Bhadradri project in Kothagudem district, after formation of Telangana towards making the State power surplus.
Highly placed official sources in TSGenco told The Hindu that BHEL, the agency which would execute the project, would launch works only after all necessary formalities were completed.
“We did not want to take any chances, as it happened in the case of Bhadradri and have been waiting for the issuance of Environmental Clearance for taking up the works,” the sources said.
The officials stated that the Telangana State Pollution Control Board (TSPCB) would issue NoC after receiving the Environmental Clearance from the MoEF by holding a meeting with a week-ten days time. Of the 2,800 acres land required for the project over 2,095 acres was forest land and thus the land acquisition did not have many hurdles as it had happened in case of some irrigation projects.
The remaining 704 acres land at Veerappagudem and Veerlapalem villages consisted of patta land, government land and ‘udafa’ land was acquired by following the necessary process.
