4.93 Ha forest land omitted from Stage III and IV EC despite 1997 clearance

The amendment seeks to correct the land use description to include 4.93 Ha of forest land and consolidate greenbelt conditions for the existing Stages I-IV.

Who it concerns: The project proponent is M/s. NTPC Limited (National Thermal Power Corporation). The clearance is being processed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), IA Division.

Conditions and facts

• Clearance Status: Amendment in Environment Clearance (Category A).
• Project Capacity: 1550 MW (Stages I-IV), with Stage IV being 1x500 MW.
• Location: Babhanpur & Niranjanpur Villages, Unchahar Tehsil, Raebareli District, Uttar Pradesh.
• Land Area: Total land requirement is 891.52 Ha (2203 Acres).
• Forest Involvement: 4.93 Ha of forest land at Umran is involved under the ash dyke area; Forest Clearance was previously granted on 04.03.1997 but was inadvertently omitted from the EC.
• Greenbelt Condition: A consolidated condition requires greenbelt development on 287.53 Ha (33% of total land excluding solar plant area) with a tree density of at least 2500 per ha and 80% survival rate.
• Ash Management: Existing ash dykes at Arkha and Umran (331.16 Ha) will be reduced to 155 Ha progressively to accommodate greenbelt development; 100% ash utilization is claimed.

Also in the document

• The amendment is required because 4.93 Ha of forest land was inadvertently left out of the Environmental Clearances for Stage III and IV, despite Forest Clearance having been granted in 1997.
• The document notes that Stage I (2x210 MW) was installed in 1989 by UPRVUNL without an Environmental Clearance, reportedly based on consent from the UPPCB.
• The application for transfer of the Stage II EC from UPRVUNL to NTPC is pending and will only be processed after this amendment regarding the forest land is resolved.