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• A thermal plant to be set up by NTPC, country's largest power producer, in Orissa has hit a roadblock following Environment and Forest Ministry's refusal to give green clearance, citing many "loose ends" in the project proposal. The 2x800 MW Coal Based Super Thermal Power Plant proposed to be developed NTPC at village Gajmara, in Dhenkanal district of Orissa has been facing opposition from locals with regard to land acquisition also. A Committee under MoEF, had noted that the project entails acquisition of forests and grazing land and observed that there are several forests in the study area. It therefore, decided that even though the terms of reference prescribed for the project had not specified the requirement for preparation and implementation of a wildlife conservation plan, NTPC shall duly formulate the same in consultation with the wildlife department officials at the earliest. The Committee had, therefore, advised the PSU that not only an equivalent area of grazing land shall be acquired and developed but also grazing land in the study area shall also be upgraded. "The proposal was earlier taken up in the 36th meeting of the Committee held during November 14-15 last year, wherein it observed that the proposal in its present form had many loose ends. In view of the observations as noted above, the Committee decided that the proposal is premature for consideration of grant of environmental clearance and accordingly deferred the proposal for reconsideration at a later stage," the Committee said in the MoEF website. When contacted a NTPC official said they informed the Ministry to withhold its application for environmental clearance as the coal allotted to the plant has been diverted to some other plant as the land acquisition itself is not completed. 

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