The Environment Ministry has accorded environmental clearance to eight thermal power projects with a total capacity of 4677 MW in the current year, the Rajya Sabha was told today.
Minister of State for Environment Prakash Javadekar said in a written reply that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, governs environmental clearnace stipulations including that of time limit.
He said thermal power projects are being given environmental clearance "in line" with all the stipulations of EIA notification 2006.
Among the major thermal power projects which got environmental clearance this year (as on July 11 this year) include 2X800 MW (Stage 1) Darlipali Supercritical coal-based thermal power plant (NTPC) in Sundergarh, Odisha, and 2X800 Ennore SEZ Supercritical imported coal-based thermal power plant (TANGEDCO) in Thiruvallur district in Tamil Nadu.
Among the other projects accorded environmental clearance are 2X250 MW Barauni Extension thermal power project (Bihar State Power Generation Company) adjoining existing unit at Begusarai in Bihar and modernisation of existing Unit-6 by change of fuel to imported coal at Trombay thermal power station at Chembur in Mumbai (Tata Power Company).
The remaining thermal power projects out of the total eight are of GAIL India, Jamkhanda Sugars Limited, Lokmangal Mauli Industries and MCCPTA India Corporation Private Limited.
Replying to another question, Javadekar said 298 proposals were pending with the Environment Ministry for consideration of environment clearance as on June 30 this year.
Giving details, Javadekar said 55 such proposals were pending in Gujarat and 35 in Andhra Pradesh.
Similarly, 32 projects were pending in Maharashtra while 24 each were pending in Madhya Pradesh and Karnataka.
