CHENNAI: The southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) suspended the environmental clearance granted to 660 MW Ennore Thermal Power Station (ETPS) expansion project for six months, due to lack of mandatory public hearing.
The tribunal has directed the Union Environment Ministry to conduct a public hearing within the next two months and incorporate additional conditions in the environmental clearance for TANGEDCO to comply. “The entire exercise will have to be completed by the Union Environment Ministry within a period of six months,” the green bench, comprising judicial member Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member K Satyagopal said.
The bench gave the TANGEDCO the liberty to proceed with the construction activity, but has been restrained from operating the plant until the public hearing is conducted and environment clearance is revised.
Disposing the petition filed by Ennore resident RL Srinivasan, who sought cancellation of environment clearance, the tribunal said it is not necessary to set aside the environment clearance as it is only a “curable procedural irregularity and not an inherent illegality violating the entire process”.
TNIE has previously reported how Union Environment Ministry granted clearance for ETPS expansion project without holding public hearing. This despite its Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) of thermal power projects turned down TANGEDCO request seeking exemption of public hearing.
The ministry had considered public hearing conducted for another thermal power station — ETPS replacement project to grant clearance for ETPS expansion project. Though both the projects are proposed inside the same ETPS complex, they are two different entities. However, the ministry ignored EAC observation and granted exemption.