In a bid to avoid idling of the huge investments involved in hydropower development, NTPC has urged that in-principle clearance for a project from the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoE&F) be granted at the pre-feasibility report (PFR) stage itself.- NTPC's demand is driven by the experience at its Rupsiabagar-Khasiyabara project in Uttarakhand, where all necessary approvals (except forest clearance) had been accorded, and substantial amount of expenditure had been incurred; however, the MoE&F eventually declared the project area as "No-Go", resulting in massive losses for the company.
- The power utility has also criticized, what it considers, the ambiguous procedure that is at present followed for the grant of green clearances. It has asked the environment ministry to, instead, delineate a clear and objective checklist that potential developers must adhere to, to obtain sanction for projects.
- The company has also asked that the environmental feasibility of transmission and distribution (T&D) lines needed for evacuation of power from the project also be assessed at the PFR stage.
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