Reliance Power's Chhatrasal coal mine EC challenged in NGT

The Centre was today directed by the National Green Tribunal (NGT) to respond to a plea seeking quashing of environmental clearance (EC) granted to Reliance Power for construction of Sasan ultra mega power plant at Chhatrasal in Madhya Pradesh.
A bench headed by Justice Swatanter Kumar issued notices to Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Madhya Pradesh forest department and Sasan Power Ltd and posted the matter for hearing on November 25.
"Issue notice to the respondents by registered post acknowledgement due and dasti as well," the bench said.
The Centre had allocated Moher, Moher-Amroli extension and Chhatrasal coal mines in Singrauli coalfields to Sasan Power Ltd, the company developing the plant.

The 5 million-tonne-a-year coal mine at Chhatrasal is the last of the three coal blocks allotted for the project in July this year, with the other two being in operation since 2012.
The bench was hearing a petition filed by Mahan Sangharsh Samiti which has alleged that environmental clearance granted to the mine was contrary to the provisions laid down in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006.

Seeking quashing of the EC, the plea said that the public hearing conducted with respect to the project was not in accordance with provisions of Environmental Impact Assessment Notification of 2006.

"The public hearing for the project was conducted in Bandha and involved participation from only less than 150 attendees, contrary to the number claimed by the proponent," it said.
The plea said that the project would cause "environmental and sociological" damage in case any construction is undertaken in accordance with granted environmental clearance.
"The air quality standards is already well above the national standards in the proposed location. Exposing the residents to even higher levels of air pollution is increasing their risk of getting cancer and will violate their right to health," it said.
Claiming that wildlife corridors were not considered while granting EC to the project, it alleged that issue of wildlife has been dealt in a very casual and negligent manner.