Land for Nirsa power unit cleared

The Rs 4000-crore Nirsa power project in Dhanbad has received clearance from the forest and environment department of the government of India to take over 435 acres of land.

The thermal power plant would generate 1000MW for sale to Jharkhand and West Bengal state boards. It would be set up as a joint venture with Tata Sons.

The Dhanbad divisional forest officer (DFO) Vikram Singh Gaur confirmed the Union government had accepted the proposal of the Damodar Valley Corporation (DVC) to provide 435 acres of land around Nirsa for the proposed thermal power plant.

The Centre laid down certain conditions before consenting to hand over the forest land to DVC.

Gaur said the forest department had sought 435 acres of land in exchange of the Nirsa plot and an additional sum of Rs 12 crore for carrying out aforestation on that plot of land.

"Once DVC provides the land and the money, the Union government would hand over the Nirsa plot to the new corporation that will implement the project," the DFO said.

DVC had reportedly earmarked about 435 acres of land at Hazaribagh and Koderma in Jharkhand in exchange.