The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has ordered notice to TANGEDCO and the Tamil Nadu government on a petition opposing the environment approval granted to the 1,600-MW Uppur Thermal Power Project.
According to the counsel for the appellants, the NGT order follows an appeal from the villagers objecting to the environment and coastal zone clearance granted to the ₹12,700-crore super critical thermal power project planned in South Tamil Nadu.
The appeal objecting to the clearance by the Central Environment Ministry by people in Ramanathapuram, a coastal district in South Tamil Nadu, where Uppur is located was on the grounds that the views of the local farmers and fishermen were not heard during the public hearing, the proposed site is a flood plain for three major tanks and the project threatens agriculture, marine life and mangrove forests in the vicinity.
According to information available on the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation Web site, the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change had issued environment and CRZ clearance on May 18, 2016.
The project is planned for commissioning in September 2019.