HYDERABAD: In a major jolt to the State government, the Southern Zone bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed it to stop the commissioning of the Yadadri thermal power plant in the Nalgonda district and the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment and Forest deferred the decision on granting permission to the Palamur-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS).
The NGT issued the order after hearing a petition filed by the Conservation of Action Trust of Mumbai.
Reacting to the news, State Energy Minister G Jagadish Reddy alleged that a conspiracy has been hatched against the construction of the Yadadri power plant and added that the State government would take legal recourse. The Environmental Clearance has also been suspended till a further appraisal is done on the basis of directions issued by the Tribunal.
TS to move court against NGT order
The NGT in its order said: “Till further directions are issued from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), the project proponent is directed not to commission the project but they can proceed with the project of construction of infrastructure and they must also not install the machinery, as this may also involve a revisit on the basis of the further recommendations/ conditions if any to be issued by the EAC and the issuing authority viz., MoEF&CC and that will be subject to the directions of the MoEF&CC and at their risk”.
The petitioners contended that the State government did not consider the impact of the Yadadri thermal power plant on wildlife in view of the fact that the Amrabad Tiger Reserve is just 10 km away. The petitioners also contended that no specific coal linkage has been provided except for producing certain MoUs with the agencies which are dealing with imported coal and also indigenous coal (Indian coal).
Speaking to reporters in Suryapet, Minister G Jagadish Reddy said that construction of the Yadadri power plant was started after obtaining all the necessary permissions. “The NGT’s order is unilateral and causes a great loss to the country,” he said.
Alleging that some “hidden forces” were behind Mumbai’s Trust, he wondered what was the link between a Mumbai- based Trust and the Yadadri plant in Telangana.
“The State government would file a review petition against the NGT order and complete the construction of Yadadri as per the schedule,” he added. The State government took up Yadadri 4,000MW (5X800MW) with an estimated cost of Rs 25,000 crore. The foundation was laid for the plant in 2015.
The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forest, meanwhile, deferred the decision on granting permission to the Palamur- Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS), which is intended to irrigate 4,97,976 hectares in erstwhile Mahbubnagar, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts.
The estimated cost of the Palamuru-Rangareddy is Rs 55,086.57 crore and the benefit-cost ratio is 1.26:1. The foundation was laid for the lift irrigation scheme in 2015.