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The Union power
ministry has
requested MoEF to
grant environment and
forest clearance to NHPC's
520-mw Teesta
hydroelectric project in
Sikkim expeditiously. In a
recent communication, the
power ministry informed
MoEF that the despite
requisite information having
been submitted to the
ministry, the project has not
been discussed for grant of
environment clearance so
far. The power ministry
requested for the project to
be taken up for discussion in
its next expert appraisal
committee meeting.
The Public Hearing for
Teesta Stage IV was
successfully conducted by
Sikkim State Pollution
Control Board on March 29
this year. Subsequently, the
final environment impact
assessment and
environment management
plan reports along with
public hearing report were
submitted by NHPC to
environment ministry in
May 2012.
Teesta IV hydropower
project is a run-of-the-river
scheme proposed on River
Teesta in Sikkim. It
envisages four underground
Francis turbines of 130-mw
each, expecting to generate
2,373 million kwh in a 90 per
cent dependable year. The
total project cost has been
estimated at Rs.3,931 crore
at July 2010 price level with
commissioning targeted
within the XII Plan period.
However, with the
clearances for the project
pending, delays in
commissioning are very
likely.
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