Environment ministry clears Orissa UMPP mines with a catch

The Union environment ministry has given a go-ahead to the Orissa Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP), clearing the path for the power ministry to award the project.

“We have got clearance for the Orissa UMPP. This would be the fifth UMPP that we would award in the past five years,” Sushil Kumar Shinde, union minister for power, said on the sidelines of a press conference.

Two of the three coal blocks associated with Bedabahal (Orissa) UMPP — Meenakshi B and the dipside of Meenakshi — had fallen in ‘no go’ areas, where the environment ministry had barred any mining activity.

This had led Power Finance Corporation, the nodal agency for implementation of UMPPs in the country, to postpone the process of inviting preliminary bids to next month —- the seventh time bidding process for the project has had to be put off.

After delaying various coal mining projects in the country over the last one year, the MoEF has suddenly softened its stand on the environment clearance procedure.

Last week, environment minister Jairam Ramesh, met the coal minister and agreed to clear 75% of the projects under Coal India Ltd.