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SATURDAY, MAY 17, 2008 8:13 AM IST
PTI
Bhubaneswar: Optimistic about completion of land acquisition for its 1,000 MW power plant near Cuttack in five months, Tata Power has allayed fears that it may cause air, water and noise pollution and said the thermal unit would adopt the latest environmental safety technology.
“We expect the whole process of land acquisition for the Naraj Marthapur coal-based power project to be completed by October, this year,” project director (eastern region) of Tata Power, Praveer Sinha told PTI here.
Maintaining that the company was for fair and just compensation for land, structures and trees, Sinha, who visited the proposed plant site with other company officials, said price for land would be settled through ‘direct win-win negotiations with sellers´.
Rates offered would be higher than benchmark rates fixed by Orissa government, Sinha and other company officials pointed out, adding most advanced technologies would be used in the Rs 5,000-crore project to minimise plant emission.
“Like most cities abroad as also Mumbai and Jamshedpur, proper methods for controlling air, water and noise pollution would be installed within the plant,” Sinha said.
Ruling out any adverse impact on the air quality of Cuttack and Bhubaneswar due to the plant, he said water spraying would be undertaken in coal yard area to suppress the dust, while high efficiency electrostatic precipitator would be installed for removal of fly as from the flue gas.
“All these measures would keep emission of ash and coal dust to well below the statutory norms,” a senior official at Tata Power’s Jamshedpur plant said, adding flue gas would be released through 275 metre tall stack, three times taller than Qutub Minar.
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GangaPrasad Said:


Just today, I posted comments on the news item 'Home-made gear to heat up power tariffs' on Economic Times. The government is apparently backtracking on its reforms agenda by pursuing an indigenization policy that is likely to both delay and reduce the efficiency of power equipment installed at UMPPs, not to mention cause and justify an increase in the bidded UMPP tariffs. My concern is whether Tata's cuttack thermal power project is part of that 'conspiracy' (for want of a better word). I'd hope, as the MOEF/CPCB would, that the power project adhere to all environmental and operational norms specified for thermal power plants. But if that were the intention, why would Mr. Sinha specify pollution abatement technologies instead of merely stating the intent to comply with state and central environmental regulations? And, does the compensation for land over and above the specified benchmark rates forebode the expectation of environmental damage (despite the claims of a tall stack)? Something amiss?

Posted On 5/11/2008 6:22:31 PM