New notification on thermal power plant’s environmental clearance

For the first time, the Union environment ministry has notified a new list of standard conditions with bringing an exclusive health assessment as an essential point to give environment clearance to thermal power plants.

Under its new order, issued on 19th of November 2018, new thermal power plants in India will now have to comply with ‘human health and environment’ criteria as part of their mandatory environmental clearance procedures.

Chronic exposures to air and noise pollution, which can harm not only the health of employees but also individuals in the neighborhood, should be taken into consideration by the company.  This basic health status within the scope of the study area need to be part of the company’s application for the development / construction of thermal power plants anywhere across the nation.

The ministry’s office memorandum (OM) on the issue, pointed out that the condition will not only apply to coal and lignite based TPPs, but also to waste to energy plants that pose a tremendous health burden on local populations and workers. In addition to getting the nods, the company must also conduct a biannual health inspection of all employees as well as undertake measures for the mitigation of the “endemic disease,” says the memorandum.

In addition, the Ministry’s memorandum has included a total of 14 broad areas on several other new overall conditions, including corporate environmental responsibility (CER) operations, where companies must allocate funds to undertake numerous environmental preservation and restoration work.  Majority of the condition pertain to stricter norms on air, water, noise, green belt, effluent release, biodiversity conservations and marine facilities.

“The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), at the moment of the assessment of proposals for grant of the EC, will consider these standard conditions. The EAC at the time of appraisal may modify, omit and stipulate additional conditions based on the project specific requirements,” said the ministry.