SPEED POST

J 13012/06/2009-IA.II (T)

Government of India

Ministry of Environment & Forests                                                             

 

Ph: 011-2436 3973

Paryavaran Bhawan

CGO Complex, Lodi Road

New Delhi-110 003

Dated:  January 25, 2012. 

To

 

M/s NTPC Ltd.

Environmental Engineering Division

Engineering Office Complex

Plot No. A-8A, Sector -24

Noida – 201 301.

 

Sub:  3x800 MW (Stage-I) Kudgi Super Thermal Power Plant at village Kudgi, in Basavana Bagevadi Taluk, in Bijapur Distt., in Karnataka      - reg.  Environmental Clearance.

 

Sir,

         

The undersigned is directed to refer to your letters dated 29.09.2011 and 28.10.2011 on the subject mentioned above. The Ministry of Environment & Forests has examined the application. 

 

2.       The proposal is for setting up of 3x800 MW (Stage-I) Kudgi Super Thermal Power Plant at village Kudgi, in Basavana Bagevadi Taluk, in Bijapur Distt., in Karnataka. The total land requirement for Stage – I will be 2440 acres which comprises of mostly barren and rocky with some area under single crop agriculture land. This include 150 acres for township, 75 acres for railway siding, 300 acres green belt, 780 acres ash dyke, 290 acres for water reservoir and 65 acres for miscellaneous. No forest land is involved. The co-ordinates of the site are located within Latitude 16030’N to 16032’N and Longitude 75047’30” E to 75050’E. Coal requirement will be 12.0 MTPA. Coal will be obtained from NTPC’s Parkri Barwadih Coal Block in Jharkhand. Forest clearance for Parki Barwadhi has been obtained on 17.09.2010. Ash and Sulphur content in coal at ultimate end use will be <34 % and 0.5% respectively. About 8000 Tonnes/day of fly ash and 2000 Tonnes/day bottom ash will be generated.  HCSD system will be adopted. Two stacks of 275 m each having one twin flue and one single flue shall be provided. Water requirement will be 7380 m3/hr for Stage-I and will be sourced from the Almatti Dam on Krishna River through a pipeline at a distance of about 18.0 km from project site. Water linkage has been granted by the State Govt. on 30.01.2009.  Closed Cycle cooling system with cooling tower will be installed. There are no National Parks, Wildlife Sanctuaries, Heritage Sites, Tiger/Biosphere reserves etc. within 10 km of the site. Public Hearing was held on 25.03.2010. Cost of the project will be Rs. 13205.40 Crores.

 

3.                 The project has been considered in accordance with the provisions of the EIA notification issued by the Ministry of Environment & Forests vide S.O. 1533 (E), dated September 14, 2006.

 

4.                 Based on the information submitted by you, as at Para 2 above and others and presentation made before the Expert Appraisal Committee (Thermal Power) in its 36th Meeting held during November 14-15, 2011, by you and your consultant viz. M/s Mantec Consultants Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi, the Ministry of Environment and Forests hereby accords environmental clearance to the above project under the provisions of EIA notification dated September 14, 2006, subject to the compliance of the following Specific and General conditions:

 

A.                Specific Conditions:

                         

(i)                 Vision document specifying prospective plan for the site shall be formulated and submitted to the Regional Office of the Ministry within six months.

 

(ii)              Land and Water requirement shall be restricted as per latest CEA norms issued.

 

(iii)            Scheme for implementation for harnessing solar power within the premises of the plant particularly at available roof tops shall be formulated and status of implementation shall be submitted to the Regional Office of the Ministry from time to time.

 

(iv)             A study shall be undertaken through a reputed Govt. Organization / Agriculture University on the impact on vegetation within 10 km radius of the plant due to fly ash generated and action taken shall be submitted to the Ministry. The study shall be completed within one year of operation of the proposed plant.

 

(v)                A wildlife conservation plan shall be formulated in consultation with the Office of the Chief Wildlife Warden and duly vetted by the concerned Chief Wildlife Warden for immediate implementation. The plan shall have an in-built monitoring mechanism.

 

(vi)             Provision for installation of FGD shall be provided for future use.

 

(vii)           Coal transportation to plant site shall be undertaken by rail and no road transportation shall be permitted.

 

(viii)        A detailed study on chemical composition of coal used particularly heavy metal and radio activity contents shall be carried out through a reputed institute and report shall be submitted to Regional Office of the Ministry. Only after ascertaining its radioactive level shall fly ash be supplied to end user.

 

(ix)            Fly ash shall not be used for mine void filling or for agricultural purpose.

 

(x)               The project proponent shall carry out a long term R&D on Boiler efficiency vis-à-vis large variation on ash content of coal and submit its findings to the Ministry at a later stage.

 

(xi)            A stack of 275m height with flue gas velocity not less than 22 m/s shall be installed and provided with continuous online monitoring equipments for SOx, NOx and PM2.5 & PM10. Mercury emissions from stack may also be monitored on periodic basis.

 

(xii)          High Efficiency Electrostatic Precipitators (ESPs) shall be installed to ensure that particulate emission does not exceed 50 mg/Nm3.

 

(xiii)       Adequate dust extraction system such as cyclones/ bag filters and water spray system in dusty areas such as in coal handling and ash handling points, transfer areas and other vulnerable dusty areas shall be provided.

 

(xiv)         Utilisation of 100% Fly Ash generated shall be made from 4th year of operation. Status of implementation shall be reported to the Regional Office of the Ministry from time to time.

 

(xv)           Fly ash shall be collected in dry form and storage facility (silos) shall be provided.  Unutilized fly ash shall be disposed off in the ash pond in the form of slurry form. Mercury and other heavy metals (As, Hg, Cr, Pb etc.) will be monitored in the bottom ash as also in the effluents emanating from the existing ash pond. No ash shall be disposed off in low lying area.

 

(xvi)               Ash pond water shall be re-circulated and utilized.

 

(xvii)      Ash pond shall be lined with HDPE/LDPE lining or any other suitable impermeable media such that no leachate takes place at any point of time. Adequate safety measures shall also be implemented to protect the ash dyke from getting breached.

 

(xviii)    Sulphur and ash contents in the coal to be used in the project shall not exceed 0.5 % and <34 % respectively at any given time.  In case of variation of coal quality at any point of time fresh reference shall be made to the Ministry for suitable amendments to environmental clearance condition wherever necessary.

 

(xix)        Hydrogeology of the area shall be reviewed annually from an institute/ organization of repute to assess impact of surface water and ground regime (especially around ash dyke). In case any deterioration is observed specific mitigation measures shall be undertaken and reports/ data of water quality monitored regularly and maintained shall be submitted to the Regional Office of the Ministry.

 

(xx)          No ground water shall be extracted for use in operation of the power plant even in lean season.

 

(xxi)        No water bodies (including natural drainage system) in the area shall be disturbed due to activities associated with the setting up / operation of the power plant.

 

(xxii)     Minimum required environmental flow suggested by the Competent Authority of the State Govt. shall be maintained in the Channel/ Rivers (as applicable) even in lean season.

 

(xxiii)   COC of 4.0 shall be adopted.

 

(xxiv)    Regular monitoring of ground water level shall be carried out by establishing a network of existing wells and constructing new piezometers. Monitoring around the ash pond area shall be carried out particularly for heavy metals (Hg, Cr, As, Pb) and records maintained and submitted to the Regional Office of this Ministry. The data so obtained should be compared with the baseline data so as to ensure that the ground water quality is not adversely affected due to the project.

 

(xxv)       Monitoring surface water quality in the area shall also be regularly conducted and records maintained. The monitored data shall be submitted to the Ministry regularly. Further, monitoring points shall be located between the plant and drainage in the direction of flow of ground water and records maintained. Monitoring for heavy metals in ground water shall be undertaken.

 

(xxvi)    Waste water generated from the plant shall be treated before discharge to comply limits prescribed by the SPCB/CPCB.

 

(xxvii)  The project proponent shall undertake rain water harvesting measures and shall develop water storage for use in operation of the plant. Rain water harvesting system shall be put in place which shall comprise of rain water collection from the built up and open area in the plant premises. Action plan for implementation shall be submitted to the Regional Office of the Ministry.

 

(xxviii)     Additional soil for leveling of the proposed site shall be generated within the sites (to the extent possible) so that natural drainage system of the area is protected and improved.

 

(xxix)   Atleast three nearest village shall be adopted and basic amenities like development of roads, drinking water supply, primary health centre, primary school etc shall be developed in co-ordination with the district administration.

 

(xxx)      A special scheme for upliftment of SC & ST population in the study area shall be formulated and implemented in a time bound manner. The project proponent shall also identify the rights of tribals under existing Laws and ensure its protection and implementation thereof.

 

(xxxi)   A comprehensive R&R action plan with requisite details such as details of land losers and financial budget for compensation etc. shall be submitted to the Regional Office of the Ministry within four months. The R&R action plan shall also include scheme for upliftment of marginalized section who are indirectly affected on account of dependence for their sustenance on the land not owned by them.

 

(xxxii) The project proponent shall also adequately contribute in the development of the neighbouring villages. Special package with implementation schedule for providing potable drinking water supply in the nearby villages and schools shall be undertaken in a time bound manner.

 

(xxxiii)                                                                                                                                                                            CSR scheme shall be undertaken based on need based assessment in and around the villages within 5 km of the site and in constant consultation with the village Panchayat and the District Administration. As part of CSR employment of local youth after imparting relevant training as may be necessary shall be undertaken as committed.

 

(xxxiv)      An amount of Rs 52.80 Crores shall be earmarked as one time capital cost for CSR programme as committed by the project proponent. Subsequently a recurring expenditure of Rs 10.60 Crores per annum till the life of the plant shall be earmarked as recurring expenditure for CSR activities. Details of the activities to be undertaken shall be submitted within six month along with road map for implementation.

 

(xxxv)  It shall be ensured that an in-built monitoring mechanism for the CSR schemes identified is in place and annual social audit shall be got done from the nearest government institute of repute in the region. The project proponent shall also submit the status of implementation of the scheme from time to time. The achievements should be put on company’s website.

 

(xxxvi)      Green Belt consisting of 3 tiers of plantations of native species around plant and 100 m width shall be raised (except in areas not feasible). The density of trees shall not less than 2500 per ha with survival rate not less than 80 %.

 

(xxxvii)   An Environmental Cell shall be created at the project site itself and shall be headed by an officer of appropriate seniority and qualification. It shall be ensured that the head of the Cell shall directly report to the Head of the Organization.

 

B.                General Conditions:

 

(i)                 The treated effluents conforming to the prescribed standards only shall be re-circulated and reused within the plant. Arrangements shall be made that effluents and storm water do not get mixed.

 

(ii)              A sewage treatment plant shall be provided (as applicable) and the treated sewage shall be used for raising greenbelt/plantation.

 

(iii)            Adequate safety measures shall be provided in the plant area to check/minimize spontaneous fires in coal yard, especially during summer season. Copy of these measures with full details along with location plant layout shall be submitted to the Ministry as well as to the Regional Office of the Ministry.

 

(iv)             Storage facilities for auxiliary liquid fuel such as LDO/ HFO/LSHS shall be made in the plant area in consultation with Department of Explosives, Nagpur. Sulphur content in the liquid fuel will not exceed 0.5%.  Disaster Management Plan shall be prepared to meet any eventuality in case of an accident taking place due to storage of oil.

 

(v)                First Aid and sanitation arrangements shall be made for the drivers and other contract workers during construction phase.

 

(vi)             Noise levels emanating from turbines shall be so controlled such that the noise in the work zone shall be limited to 85 dB(A) from source. For people working in the high noise area, requisite personal protective equipment like earplugs/ear muffs etc. shall be provided. Workers engaged in noisy areas such as turbine area, air compressors etc shall be periodically examined to maintain audiometric record and for treatment for any hearing loss including shifting to non noisy/less noisy areas.

 

(vii)           Regular monitoring of ambient air ground level concentration of SO2, NOx, PM2.5 & PM10 and Hg shall be carried out in the impact zone and records maintained.  If at any stage these levels are found to exceed the prescribed limits, necessary control measures shall be provided immediately. The location of the monitoring stations and frequency of monitoring shall be decided in consultation with SPCB. Periodic reports shall be submitted to the Regional Office of this Ministry. The data shall also be put on the website of the company.

 

(viii)        Provision shall be made for the housing of construction labour (as applicable) within the site with all necessary infrastructure and facilities such as fuel for cooking, mobile toilets, mobile STP, safe drinking water, medical health care, crèche etc.  The housing may be in the form of temporary structures to be removed after the completion of the project.

 

(ix)            The project proponent shall advertise in at least two local newspapers widely circulated in the region around the project, one of which shall be in the vernacular language of the locality concerned within seven days from the date of this clearance letter, informing that the project has been accorded environmental clearance and copies of clearance letter are available with the State Pollution Control Board/Committee and may also be seen at Website of the Ministry of Environment and Forests at http://envfor.nic.in.

 

(x)               A copy of the clearance letter shall be sent by the proponent to concerned Panchayat, Zila Parisad / Municipal Corporation, urban local Body and the Local NGO, if any, from whom suggestions/representations, if any, received while processing the proposal. The clearance letter shall also be put on the website of the Company by the proponent.

 

(xi)            The proponent shall upload the status of compliance of the stipulated environmental clearance conditions, including results of monitored data on their website and shall update the same periodically. It shall simultaneously be sent to the Regional Office of MOEF, the respective Zonal Office of CPCB and the SPCB. The criteria pollutant levels namely; SPM, RSPM (PM2.5 & PM10), SO2, NOx (ambient levels as well as stack emissions) shall be displayed at a convenient location near the main gate of the company in the public domain.

 

(xii)          The environment statement for each financial year ending 31st March in Form-V as is mandated to be submitted by the project proponent to the concerned State Pollution Control Board as prescribed under the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, as amended subsequently, shall also be put on the website of the company along with the status of compliance of environmental clearance conditions and shall also be sent to the respective Regional Offices of the Ministry by e-mail. 

 

(xiii)       The project proponent shall submit six monthly reports on the status of the implementation of the stipulated environmental safeguards to the Ministry of Environment and Forests, its Regional Office, Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board. The project proponent shall upload the status of compliance of the environment of the environmental clearance conditions on their website and update the same periodically and simultaneously send the same by e-mail to the Regional Office, Ministry of Environment and Forests.

 

(xiv)         Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment & Forests will monitor the implementation of the stipulated conditions. A complete set of documents including Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Environment Management Plan along with the additional information submitted from time to time shall be forwarded to the Regional Office for their use during monitoring. Project proponent will up-load the compliance status in their website and up-date the same from time to time at least six monthly basis. Criteria pollutants levels including NOx (from stack & ambient air) shall be displayed at the main gate of the power plant.

 

(xv)           Separate funds shall be allocated for implementation of environmental protection measures along with item-wise break-up. These cost shall be included as part of the project cost. The funds earmarked for the environment protection measures shall not be diverted for other purposes and year-wise expenditure should be reported to the Ministry.

 

(xvi)         The project authorities shall inform the Regional Office as well as the Ministry regarding the date of financial closure and final approval of the project by the concerned authorities and the dates of start of land development work and commissioning of plant.

 

(xvii)      Full cooperation shall be extended to the Scientists/Officers from the Ministry / Regional Office of the Ministry / CPCB/ SPCB who would be monitoring the compliance of environmental status.

 

5.       The Ministry of Environment and Forests reserves the right to revoke the clearance if conditions stipulated are not implemented to the satisfaction of the Ministry. The Ministry may also impose additional environmental conditions or modify the existing ones, if necessary.

 

6.       The environmental clearance accorded shall be valid for a period of 5 years to start operations by the power plant.

 

7.       Concealing factual data or submission of false/fabricated data and failure to comply with any of the conditions mentioned above may result in withdrawal of this clearance and attract action under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

 

8.       In case of any deviation or alteration in the project proposed including coal transportation system from those submitted to this Ministry for clearance, a fresh reference should be made to the Ministry to assess the adequacy of the condition(s) imposed and to add additional environmental protection measures required, if any.

 

9.       The above stipulations would be enforced among others under the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and rules there under, Hazardous Wastes (Management, Handling & Transboundary Movement) Rules, 2008 and its amendments, the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and its amendments.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

 

(Dr. P.L. Ahujarai)

Scientist ‘F’

Copy to:     

 

1.                 The Secretary, Ministry of Power, Shram Shakti Bhawan, Rafi Marg, New Delhi 110001.

2.                 The Secretary (Environment), Forests and Environment Department Government of Karnataka

3.                 The Chairman, Central Electricity Authority, Sewa Bhawan, R.K. Puram, New Delhi-110066.

4.                 The Chairman, Karnataka State Pollution Control Board, Parisara Bhawan, 4th & 5th Floor, 49, Church Street, Bangalore – 560 001.

5.                 The Chairman, Central Pollution Control Board, Parivesh      Bhawan, CBD-cum-Office Complex, East Arjun Nagar, Delhi-   110032.

6.                 The Chief Conservator of Forests, Regional Office (SZ), Kendriya Sadan, 4th Floor E&F Wings 17th Main Road, 1 Block , Koranmangala, Bangalore-560 034.

7.                 The District Collector, Bijapur District, Govt. of Karnataka.

8.                 The Director (EI), MOEF.

9.          Guard file.

 

 

 

(Dr. P.L. Ahujarai)

Scientist ‘F’

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