Bhadreshwar power station (OPG)

Bhadreshwar power station (OPG) is a proposed 300 megawatt (MW) coal plant in Gujarat, India.

Location
The map below shows the approximate location of the project.

Background
On February 8, 2012, the National Green Tribunal, a body created in 2010 to handle cases relating to environmental protection, directed that no construction activity should take place with respect to the plant until all approvals are obtained by OPG Power Ventures, the sponsor of the project. Construction had begun at the site without the necessary approvals under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, and CRZ clearance. The construction had been challenged at the National Green Tribunal by fisherfolk, salpan workers, and local villagers.

The NGT said, in what seemed like a misguided effort to make the project look clean, the company's environmental impact assessment (EIA) report actually recorded pollution indicators well below possible levels, essentially fabricating their data.

The halting of the project was an unusual event. According to Prayas Energy Group, "It is extremely rare for a thermal power plant (TPP) to have its environmental clearance rejected. In fact, not a single thermal power plant has been denied clearance by the MoEF from 2006 to July 2010...."

National Green Tribunal order
The order of the National Green Tribunal can be found here.

Press coverage
The order to stop construction of the plant attacted nationwide media attention, including the following stories:
 * "Green Tribunal flags rad for OPG's power plant," Indian Express, February 15, 2012
 * Piyali Mandal, "Green setback for OPG Power plant," Business Standard, February 15, 2012
 * "Green tribunal stops Gujarat power project," Hindustan Times, February 14, 2012
 * Gujarat News story, February 14, 2012 (in Gujarati)
 * Kutch Mitra Daily story, (in Gujarati)
 * "Stop OPG's power plant work at Mudra untill it gets environmental clearance: National Green Tribunal," The Economic Times, February 15, 2012
 * "Stop OPG's power plant work at Mudra, Gujarat: Green Tribunal," Deccan Chronicle, February 16, 2012

Activist Groups

 * Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), Kutch, Gujarat: http://masskutch.blogspot.com

Project Details
Sponsor: OPG Power Ventures Location: Village Bhadreshwar, Taluka Mundra, District Kutch, State of Gujarat Coordinates: 22.909409, 69.899944 Status: Deferred Nameplate capacity: 300 MW (2 x 150 MW) Type: Projected in service: Coal Source: imported and domestic coal Estimated annual CO2: Source of financing:

Related SourceWatch articles

 * India and coal
 * Proposed coal plants in India