Ministry of environmental and forests gives indications of giving a green signal to the 1,980 mw thermal power plant at Dopaha in UP

Amidst the raging development-versus-environment debate, the Union ministry of environmental and forests (MoEF) has given an indications of giving a green signal to the 1,980 mw thermal power plant at Dopaha, in Sonebhadra district of Uttar Pradesh.

At a meeting called by the MoEF in Delhi, senior UP Power Corporation officials strongly articulated their argument for choosing the site for the project and requested the Centre to provide it with clearances to go ahead. In response to that, the officials of MoEF have asked the corporation to provide details of two more alternative sites for the project that should be at least 20 km away from the present site for the project by next month.

It may be mentioned that the project has been embroiled in a fist-fight between the Centre and the Mayawati government since last year. While the environment and forest ministry is of the view the project would damage the environment of the area, the state government has contested the view and feels that the Centre is building up a flimsy ground to deny it the right to set up a power plant near the mine-rich area.

According to the environmental ministry, a study carried out by the Centre at Singrauli, in Sonebhadra district, has warned that these power plants could cause irreparable damage to the environment of the area. Accepting the preliminary findings of the study, the environment ministry had said that no power plant should come up in the notified (Singrauli) area till the Central team completes its study on environmental hazards these power plants.