Tata Power proposal to be vetted by green bodies

The record of the public hearing on Tata Power Company’s proposal to convert a 500-Mw gas-based unit at Trombay in this city’s northeast to a coal-based one are being sent to the environmental bodies concerned.

The suburban district collector’s representative and the additional district magistrate had sent the minutes of the meeting to the Maharashtra Pollution Control Board (MPCB). The latter would soon forward these to the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) and the state environment department.

The conversion entails investment of Rs 1,174 crore. The public hearing was a mandatory procedure under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification of 2006. Political parties, individuals and non-government organisations have several objections to the proposal. Tata Power has issued various clarifications on these.

An MPCB official told Business Standard: “The minutes, along with the audio and video tapes, are being forwarded to MoEF and the state environment department. Tata Power, which has submitted a draft EIA for the proposed conversion-cum-modernisation, will have to submit a final EIA report after taking into consideration all objections and suggestions made during the public hearing, which took place on January 15.”

The official said the minutes mention the turmoil due to the slogan shouting and how the additional district magistrate had to close the public hearing, "looking at the complexity of the situation".

A Tata Power spokesman said: “The (proposal) will help in providing cheaper, reliable and uninterrupted power supply to Mumbai customers. The company has proposed state-of-the-art environment protection equipment to ensure emissions at the plant are controlled well within the prescribed permissible limits. Tata Power is committed to the process of transparent public consultation.”