NMDC looks for alternate sites for its proposed UP power plant

NMDC, which is in the process of setting up a 500-MW power plant in Gonda district in Uttar Pradesh, has decided to shift the location of the project in view of the objections raised by a committee under the Ministry of Environment and Forests earlier.
According to official sources, Mecon, consultant for the power project has come up with three alternative sites and the Expert Appraisal Committee has asked the miner to prepare a detailed plan with regard to the environmental issues on the site at Turkadih-Siswa.
The EAC earlier refused to give clearance for the project on the grounds that place where the project is proposed, is fertile agriculture land and suggested the company to come out with alternative lands.

"Mecon has identified three alternate sites within and outside Gonda, with the help of Topo Sheets and Satellite imageries and extensive field survey. The EAC asked them to prepare Environmental Management Plan keeping Turkadih-Siswa site in mind," a source in the know of the development told PTI.
The source said an advertisement seeking land up to 500 acres in Gonda district was also released recently.
"We have not taken any investment decision yet. It depends on the DPR by Mecon. It will take some time for them to prepare the report," the source added.

In November last year, NMDC once again approached the EAC with the alternative site and the committee has asked the PSU to prepare a detailed Environment Impact Assessment study and Environmental management plan for the site.

In August last year, an MoU was signed between the NMDC Power Limited (NPL), a wholly owned subsidiary of Navratna Public Sector Undertaking, NMDC Limited and IEDCL, a subsidiary of IL&FS for setting up a 2x250 Mw Thermal Power Plant under Joint Venture at Gonda, Uttar Pradesh UP with the investment outlay of over Rs 3,000 crore.
NMDC Power will initially hold 48 per cent stake in the venture for setting up the power plant, while the remainder will be with IEDCL. Subsequently, NMDC would dilute its stake in the venture to 26 per cent, while IEDCL would have the rest 74 per cent stake, NMDC acting Chairman C S Verma had said at the MoU signing ceremony in August.