TS Genco gets land approval for Dameracherla plant.

In a major step forward towards setting up 6,800 MW Dameracherla thermal power station, the State Environment and Forests Department has given final (stage-two) approval for diversion of 1,892.35 hectares (about 4,730.87 acres) of the reserve forest land, following the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) granting final approval on July 7.

In his orders issued recently, Principal Secretary (Environment & Forests) Rajeshwar Tiwari accorded the final approval for diversion of the land under Forest (Conservation) Act in favour of Telgana State Generation Corporation (TS-Genco) for setting up 4,400 MW thermal power project at Veerlapalem and 2,400 MW project at Dilawarpur in Dameracherla mandal of Nalgonda district.

The land falls in in Veerlapalem, Dilawarpur and Gangadevigattu reserve forest blocks.

The official, however, stated that diversion of land would be subject to the fulfilment of conditions such as legal status of the diverted forest land shall remain unchanged; compensatory afforestation over the non-forest land, equal in extent to the forest land being diverted, shall be raised and maintained by the State Forest Department from the funds already provided by the user agency.

Besides, the user agency shall pay the additional amount of net present value; shall ensure that ash disposal is carried out as per the detailed plan prepared for the purpose and in accordance with environmental safeguards among others.

THE HINDU