Vidarbha thermal power station

{{#badges: CoalSwarm|Navbar-Indiacoal}}Vidarbha thermal power station is a proposed 1320-megawatt (MW) power station in Maharashtra, India.

Location

The undated satellite photo below shows the location of the construction site, which is 2 km east of the village of Mandva (or Mandwa) and 6 km northwest of Wardha.

Background

The plant, which is sponsored by Lanco, would comprise two subcritical units of 660 MW each.

A July 2012 Lanco investor presentation reported: "TG deck of unit 1 completed." According to the Central Electricity Authority (September 2012), Unit 1 will be commissioned in April 2014 and Unit 2 will be commissioned in August 2014.

However, as of September 2014 the units are still listed as under construction by Lanco and the India government.

The units are planned for operation in 2017.

On January 11, 2016, the company applied for an extension of its Environmental Clearance, which was granted in September 2016.

As of September 2016, satellite photos of the construction site on Google Earth Time Slider show that there has been no construction activity at the site since November, 2013.

According to the October 2016 Broad Status Report, construction work resumed in April 2015 after easing of "financial crunch."

Opposition

A court petition filed by four farmers against the Environmental Clearance challenged the validity of the hearing that took place on September 17, 2010. According to the court documents, about 5,000 villagers attended the hearing, which "was vitiated by ruckus since the Regional Officer, MPCB did not hear all the villagers ... the respondents used muscle power against the poor villagers; the Police Officers present at the hearing openly threatened the villagers and directed not to speak against the project ... the public hearing was abruptly closed after goons hired by the respondents created ruckus and villagers were brutally beaten." The company denied the allegations.

In response to the petition, the court ordered a new hearing, which took place in June 2012. According to an account in The Times of India, the new hearing was "stage-managed, with only families of those employed by the plant saying yes" to the project. Manoj Manwatkar, son of one of the petitioners, complained, "This is an eye wash as 30% of the project has been completed. Work should be stopped till the Supreme Court decides the petition to cancel environment clearance filed by four affected farmers from Pulai. The public hearing should also be termed null and void."

The Times of India article reported further:

Dr Vibha Gupta, chairperson of Magan Sangrahalaya Samiti (MSS), Wardha, said temperatures of Wardha have already crossed 47 degrees. Power units would mean disaster. "These units are taking away our land and water, and in return giving us ash. Lanco will take away a lot of water, even as Wardha residents get drinking water every alternate day. The unit will also pollute rivers supplying water to Wardha," Gupta said.

Many farmers criticized the company officials for making fake promises. Sandeep Pakhide said Lanco was to plant 1.75 lakh trees in four years but it has planted not more than a 1,000 trees. Also, most of the saplings have died. He wanted the plant to use the best technology to curb pollution.

Power sector expert Sudhir Paliwal said Lanco is making tall claims about benefiting several villages, but there are 84 villages in the 10-12km radius around the plant. "What about the welfare of these villages?" he asked.

Financing

China Development Bank gave US$200 million Buyers’ Credit for units 3 & 4 (1320 MW) of Lanco Amarkantak Thermal Power Project, the 1320 MW Babandh power station, and the 1320 MW Vidarbha thermal power station being developed by Lanco Group.

Project Details

Sponsor: Lanco
Location: 2 km east of the village of Mandva (or Mandwa), Wardha talk, Wardha district, Maharashtra
Coordinates: 20.8221936, 78.4872079 (Exact)
Status: Construction (resumed in 4/15 after being on hold)
Capacity: 1320 MW (Units 1-2: 660 MW)
Type:
Projected in service: 2017
Coal Type: Domestic
Coal Source: SECL
Estimated annual CO₂:
Source of financing: China Development Bank
Public hearing: "Minutes of Environmental Public Hearing in respect of proposed M/s. Lanco Vidarbha Thermal Power Ltd. 1320MW (660x2) Coal Based Thermal Power Project at Village Mandwa, Pulai & Belgaon, Tq.Dist. Wardha," Ministry of Environment and Forests, September 17, 2010
Permits and applications:

• Environmental Clearance, India MoEF, February 24, 2011;
• Environmental Impact Assessment, October, 2010

Resources

Related SourceWatch articles

• India and coal
• Proposed coal plants in India