Telangana to soon get forest nod for 4000 Mw project

The Telangana Generation Corporation has proposed a 4,000-Mw thermal power project at Damaracharla mandal, which falls under the reserve forest area, in Nalgonda

Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar today said the Telangana government's proposed 4,000 Mw thermal power station in Nalgonda district will soon get forest clearance.

This step will boost the power sector in the new state, which has been facing a crisis following bifurcation from erstwhile Andhra Pradesh.

"For Telangana, power is a very important need. And right from the days of agitation (for creation of separate state) we were stressing for sufficient power," Javadekar told reporters here.

He said Telangana chief minister (K Chandrasekhar Rao) had met him last month over setting up Telangana Generation Corporation's 4,000-Mw thermal power project at Damaracharla mandal in Nalgonda and required huge land for it.

"The Telangana government did the necessary preparatory work on setting up the power station by stating it will give equal extent of land elsewhere for the reserve forest (where the plant is proposed) to be acquired," Javadekar said, adding, the land is a degraded forest land and will be developed for the project.

"We fast-tracked it (the proposal) and within one month completed all the process and evaluation from our end. A special team from Chennai was sent, which has inspected the area and submitted a report. On March 17, the Forest Appraisal Committee will meet and discuss this project by putting up all environmental conditions,"he said.

"As soon as the Forest Appraisal Committee recommends, I will give my approval for the project," Javadekar added.