Pollution board order on closure of NTPC units kept in abeyance

With the State Pollution Control Board (SPCB) deciding to keep its closure order on four units of the 3000 MW NTPC-Kaniha in abeyance till August 31, the power station can now reopen the closed units in the intervening period until further order from the board.

"The pollution board has decided to keep its closure order on four units of NTPC-Kaniha in abeyance till August 31. The decision has been taken by the board on the basis of the compliance report given by NTPC on the restoration of the slipped ash pond and also in the greater interest of power generation. NTPC authorities had presented an 'Action Plan' on ash management prepared by IIT-Chennai and we have got it verified by National Institute of Technology (NIT)-Rourkela. The restoration work on the slipped ash pond is 40 per cent complete,” said Siddhanth Das, member secretary of SPCB.

After August 31, we will examine whether the closure order on four units of NTPC-Kaniha would be revoked, he added.

NTPC authorities, however, said they will restart operations of the shut units after getting the letter from the SPCB.

"We are waiting for the letter from the SPCB. Once, we get the letter, we will restart the operations of the three closed units of 500 MW each while another 500 Mw unit will remain shut for annual maintenance,” R Venkateswaran, regional executive director, NTPC told Business Standard.

The closure of these units of NTPC-Kaniha had plunged four southern states- Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Karnataka into a power crisis as these states drew 2000 MW from this 3000 MW power plant.

On last Monday NTPC's chairman and managing director Arup Roy Choudhury had called on the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik and committed a 40-km pipeline for carrying ash to coal mine void as a long-term measure for ash management. The 3000 MW power station when running at full capacity, generates around 20,000 tonnes of ash every day.

The power major, which has drawn flak for its inefficient ash management, had promised to submit a detailed report every fortnight on the environment impact of the power station.

Besides, NTPC had assured the SPCB officials to repair the slipped ash pond completely by August 15 this year.