The Ministry of Power has asked the Ministry of Environment and Forests to fast-track the process of granting green clearance to coal mines attached to the 4,000-MW Sarguja ultra-mega power project in Chhattisgarh.

According to an official in the Power Ministry, “We have written to the Environment Ministry to speed up the process of granting clearance to coal blocks for the Sarguja UMPP.”

It is to be noted that initial bids for the Sarguja project have been postponed several times in the past eighteen months due to delays in the grant of environment and forest clearance for coal blocks attached to the project.

The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) had classified coal mines into two categories — “go” and “no-go” areas. As per the classification, mining in “no-go” areas was barred on the grounds that it would have an adverse impact on the environment.

Coal mines allotted to this project fall in the Hasdeo-Arand mining area, which was classified as a no-go zone.

Though the current last date for submission of preliminary bids for the Sarguja UMPP is December 5, it is expected that the date might be extended again.

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