NGT stays green nod for NTPC’s Karimnagar plant

Environmental Clearance put on hold for seven months, bench calls for fresh appraisal.

The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal has put in abeyance the Environment Clearance (EC) granted to the 2x800 MW thermal power plant of the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) in Karimnagar district in Telangana for a period of seven months or till a re-appraisal is done and additional conditions are imposed by the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change (MoEF & CC) . The Bench, while refusing to set aside the EC in toto, ordered that the Clearance be set aside for a reasonable period of time directing the MoEF & CC to instruct the NTPC to conduct a fresh Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study and then direct the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) to appraise the EIA. The NGT also instructed the MoEF to impose necessary additional conditions as required, consider them and then issue necessary amendments to the EC issued on October 21, 2016, after the conditions are met.