BY SPEED POST

 

No.J-13012/12/2007-IA-II (T)

Government of India

Ministry of Environment & Forests

 

Paryavaran Bhawan

CGO Complex, Lodi Road

New Delhi-110003

Dated: 7th June, 2007

To

 

The General Manager (Engg. Services)

National Thermal Power Corporation Ltd.

Plot No. A-8A, Sector 24, Post Box No.13

Noida-201301,

Uttar Pradesh.

 

 

Sub: 3x250 MW Bongaigaon Thermal Power Project at Bongaigaon,

Kokrajhar, Assam by M/s NTPC Ltd - Environmental Clearance regarding.

 

Sir,

 

The undersigned is directed to refer to your communication no. CC:ESE:4610:2007:GEN:12B dated 23. 02.2007 on the above mentioned subject.

 

2. It is noted that the proposal is for grant of environmental clearance under the provisions of EIA Notification, 1994 for setting up of a 750 MW (3x250 MW) thermal power plant at Bongaigaon. The proposed project will be setup at the location where the Bongaigaon Thermal Power Station of M/s Assam State Electricity Board was in existence and which has since been shut down. The coordinates of the proposed project are Latitude 2602626 N and longitude 900 21 E. Nearest town is Bongaigaon at 4 Km distance. The total land requirement is 964 acres which is already available. Out of this 210 acres will be used for ash disposal. No additional land will be acquired for the main plant; however, an additional 50 acres of land will be acquired for railway siding. Water requirement is estimated as 3625 m3/hr to be obtained from Champamati river. The requisite permission for drawl of 40 cusec of water has been obtained from State Irrigation Department. The coal requirement is estimated as 3.19 million TPA at 90% PLF and will be obtained from North Eastern Coalfields Ltd and Eastern Coalfield Ltd. Blended coal with an average sulphur content of a 2% will be used as fuel. It is also proposed to install FGD based on wet lime system with 90% efficiency of sulphur removal. The lime requirement has been estimated as 2000 tonnes per day. Chakrasila Wildlife Sanctuary is located at a distance of 7 km from the proposed plant and 6.5 km from the ash disposal area. Public hearing was held on 18.12.2006. Total cost of the project is Rs 4060.06 Crores which includes Rs 626.57 Crores for environmental protection measures.

3. The proposal has been considered in accordance with para 12 of the EIA Notification dated 14th September, 2006 read with para 2.2.1 (i) (a) of the Circular No. J-11013/41/2006-IA.II(I) dated 13.10.2006 and environmental clearance is hereby accorded under the provisions there of subject to implementation of the following terms and conditions:-

 

(i) Environmental clearance is subject to final order of the Honble Supreme Court of India in the matter of Goa Foundation Vs Union of India in Writ Petition (Civil) No. 460 of 2004, as may be applicable to this project.

 

(ii) Environmental clearance is subject to obtaining clearance under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 from the competent authority.

 

(iii) Additional land acquisition will be restricted to 50 acres only for railway siding.

 

(iv) Coal with an average ash content of 27.24% and sulphur content of 2.0% shall be used.

 

(v) One multi-flue stack of 220 m height with flue gas exit velocity of at least 22.5 m/s shall be provided with continuous online monitoring system.

 

(vi) High efficiency Electrostatic Precipitator (ESPs) shall be installed so as to ensure that particulate emissions do not exceed 100 mg/Nm3.

 

(vii) FGD system with 90% sulphur removal efficiency shall be installed.

 

(viii) Gypsum generated from FGD plant shall not be disposed in the ash pond. Its 100% utilization shall be ensured from day one either to cement plants or for companies manufacturing gypsum boards.

 

(ix) Water requirement shall not exceed 3625 m3/hr and shall not be drawn from any source other than Champamati river.

 

(x) Closed Circuit Cooling System with cooling towers shall be installed.

 

(xi) Fly ash shall be collected in dry form. 100% utilization of fly ash shall be achieved within 9 years in accordance with the notification on fly ash utilization SO 763 (E) dated 14th September, 1999 and the amendments made therein from time to time.

 

(xii) R&R plan / compensation package shall be finalized within three months in accordance with the norms to be decided by the State Government, which shall not be less than the norms prescribed in the National R&R policy. A copy of the same shall be furnished to this Ministry within six months.

(xiii) Regular monitoring of ground water quality including heavy metals shall be undertaken in the project area to ascertain the change, if any, in the water quality due to leaching of contaminants from the existing ash disposal area.

 

(xiv) Noise levels shall be limited to 75 dBA. For people working in the high noise area, protective devices such as earplugs etc. shall be provided.

 

(xv) A greenbelt shall be developed all around the plant boundary and ash pond boundary covering one third of the total project area.

 

(xvi) Regular monitoring of the air quality shall be carried out in and around the power plant and records shall be maintained. The location of the monitoring stations and frequency of monitoring shall be finalized in consultation with State Pollution Control Board. Six monthly reports shall be submitted to this Ministry.

 

(xvii) For controlling fugitive dust, regular sprinkling of water in vulnerable areas of the plant shall be ensured.

 

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

(xix) A separate environment monitoring cell with suitable qualified staff should be set up for implementation of the stipulated environmental safeguards.

 

(xx) Half yearly report on the status of implementation of the conditions and environmental safeguards should be submitted to this Ministry, its Regional Office, CPCB and SPCB.

 

(xxi) Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment & Forests located at Shillong will monitor the implementation of the stipulated conditions. A complete set of documents including Environmental Impact Assessment Report and Management Plan should be forwarded to the Regional Office for their use during monitoring.

 

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

 

(xxiii) Full cooperation should be extended to the Scientists/Officers from the Ministry and its Regional Office at Shillong /the CPCB/the SPCB during monitoring of the project.

4. The Ministry reserves the right to revoke the clearance if conditions stipulated are not implemented to the satisfaction of the Ministry.

 

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

 

6.     In case of any deviation or alteration in the project proposed 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.

 

 

7. 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 and Handling) Rules, 1989 and its amendments, the Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991 and its amendments.

 

Yours faithfully,

 

 

(Dr. S.K. Aggarwal)

Director

Copy to:

 

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

 

2. The Secretary, Department of Environment, Science & Technology, Assam Secretariat, Govt. of Assam, Guwahati  781 006

 

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

 

4. The Chairman, Pollution Control Board Assam,
Bamunimaidam, Guwahati - 21 - with a request to display a copy of the clearance letter at the Regional Office, District Industries Centre and Collectors office for 30 days.

 

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 (NER), Ministry of Environment & Forests, Upland Road, Laitumkhrah, Shillong- 793 003, Meghalaya.

 

7. Director (EI), MOEF.

 

8. Guard file.

 

9. Monitoring file.

 

 

 

(Dr. S.K. Aggarwal)

Director

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

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