Reply affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change regarding setting up a super critical coal based thermal power plant at village Dadri Khurd, tehsil Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh, 20/03/2025
Reply affidavit filed by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change in the matter of Debadityo Sinha & Others Vs Union of India & Others.
An application filed before the NGT said that illegal construction activities and clearing the vegetation and forest using massive earthwork and levelling the land was done by Mirzapur Energy (Uttar Pradesh) Pvt Ltd for setting up a super critical coal based thermal power plant at village Dadri Khurd, tehsil Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh.
The MoEFCC has issued an environment clearance (EC), August 21, 2014 to the project. However, the NGT vide judgment dated December 21, 2016 quashed the EC. The project proponent applied fresh for the project on May 8, 2024 to the MoEFCC for undertaking a detailed EIA study as per the EIA Notification, 2006 for grant of terms of reference (ToR) to 2x800 MW coal based Super Critical Thermal Power Project (TPP) at village Dadri Khurd, tehsil Mirzapur Sardar, district Mirzapur, Uttar Pradesh by M/s Mirzapur Thermal Energy (UP) Private Limited (MTEUPPL).
The project activity is covered under category A of item 1 (d) 'Thermal Power Plants' of the schedule to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. The power generation capacity of proposed expansion is beyond the threshold capacity of 500 MW and requires appraisal at central level. The project proponent reported an area of 0.62 hectare of forest land inside the plant boundary but at the same time applied for forest clearance over an area of 4.0123.
An application was submitted by the project proponent for the area of 0.62 hectares but after the joint inspection of the DFO (forest office) and SDM (Revenue) said that the area is a non-forest land. In addition, as there is a forest involvement near a water pipeline and approach road, Stage I Forest Clearance has been applied and it is under consideration with MoEFCC.
The project proponent was suggested by the EAC to obtain a letter from the concerned forest department mentioning the extent of forest land involved within and outside the plant area. The EAC suggested that while preparing the EIA/EMP report, the project proponent would explore the possibility of optimizing forest land requirement to the extent possible and submit a detailed note on the same at the time of EC presentation.
A site inspection by the ministry's regional office, Lucknow on February 25, 2025 found that the project proponent had already constructed the boundary wall all around the project. PP has also constructed a rainwater storage pond. High tension wires have also been passed through project land. It has also been found that the project land is not connected with the main road, only one connectivity has been found through forest land which has been used by PP by paying fee as forest accessed to the local forest department (Madhihan range) of Rs 5000 on August 16, 2024 and Rs 11650 on December 30, 2024. Status of the forest diversion proposal for 8.3581 hectares is pending with the regional office.