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Wednesday, October 2, 2013

NHPC confident of receiving MoEF clearance soon for Stage IV

GANGTOK, 01 Oct: “The Ministry of Environment and Forest is expected to grant forest clearance to the Teesta Stage IV hydel project and we hope to get the approval letter very soon,” said NHPC Finance Director, ABL Srivastava while speaking to reporters last evening at Siliguri.
He said that the 520 MW Teesta Stage IV is expected to begin as soon as the MoEF’s accepts the Sikkim government’s plea to reconsider the condition barring hydel projects to come up within 10-kilometre radius of a Wildlife sanctuary. NHPC is pursuing the matter with the MoEF for early grant of forest clearance, he added.
Teesta Stage IV project general manager, D Chattopadhyay said, “If the Supreme Court guidelines and MoEF guidelines are enforced, then not a single project can be constructed in a small state like Sikkim.”
He added that once the MoEF considers the state’s plea and takes a decision on the Supreme Court guidelines for sensitive zones, the clearance will be given by the Ministry. According to Mr Chattopadhyay, the National Wildlife Board has already given the clearance to NHPC for the Teesta Stage IV project.
Last year, the state government had written to the MoEF to reconsider Sikkim’s case keeping public interest in mind and considering the various projects coming up in the areas adjoining National Parks and Wild Life sanctuaries. Teesta Stage IV reservoir falls within 6.5 kilometers of the Khanchendzonga National Park while the power house falls within 3 kilometers of the Fambonglho Wild Life Sanctuary.
Mr. Srivastava said that NHPC has the capacity to take up thrice the number of projects underway at present and added that it was branching out to thermal and solar energy as well.
On queries regarding possible taking over of the defunct Lanco power project of Teesta Stage VI by NHPC, he said that they have not got any proposal from the private developers or from the state government in this regard. If any such proposal comes, the NHPC will definitely look into the matter, however, the Board of Governors of NHPC has taken a policy decision to not take up such defunct power projects, he added.

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