National Green Tribunal suspended Environment Clearance to the Srikakulam Thermal Power Plant

The National Green Tribunal suspended environment clearance to the thermal power plant in Srikakulam district in Andhra Pradesh on 24 May 2012. The tribunal also instructed the Union Environment Ministry to come with the final guidelines and site criteria for Thermal Power Plants urgently.

The tribunal was hearing petitions filed by 6 locals against the 2640 MW thermal power plant of Nagarajuna Construction Company. The petitioners had alleged that the land allotted for the thermal power plant is not suitable for the commercial use. They argued that the proposed plant will adversely affect the ecological system of the vicinity.

The tribunal in its findings mentioned that the existing guidelines to set up a thermal power plant don’t take notes of the factors that affect the environment and ecology today. The tribunal also quashed environment clearance to the 1200 MW thermal power plant in the Cuddalore district of Tamil Nadu.