Page 8 - AsiaElec Week 43 2022

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Adani appeals against

environmental fine at Udupi coal

plant expansion project

INDIA ADANI is to appeal against a $6.7mn fine within local communities. Further, the project
imposed in May 2022 by the Indian National is mired in numerous illegalities as has already
Green Tribunal (NGT) for serious environmen- been held by the National Green Tribunal,’ said
tal breaches at its 1,200-MW Udupi coal power Balakrishna Shetty, the Executive President of
plant. Janajagriti Samithi.
Local opposition groups has played key role The Indian government is aiming to make the
in preventing Adani’s expansion of the Udupi country’s coal power sector leaner and more effi-
plant, claiming that Adani polluted waterways cient, while also promoting renewables.
and agricultural lands in the area, campaigning Government policy can be mixed, with the
media outlet Adaniwatch said. NGT suspending the environment clearance
Adani initially filed an appeal against the fine granted for the Yadadri thermal power station
on August 26, although the Supreme Court has (TPP) being built in Nalgonda district earlier in
now has asked Adani Group to file a revised peti- October.
tion within 90 days. The ruling comes as India plans to cut gener-
Critics of Adani’s power plant have argued ating output from a minimum of 81 coal-fired
that the appeal only aims to buy more time and power plants by 2025 in an effort to replace ther-
delay payment of the fine. The appeal to the mal generation with cheaper renewables.
Supreme Court has automatically put the pen- India expects the plan to reduce power gen-
alty payment on hold. eration by 58bn kWh from the 81 utility com-
As of early October, the petitioners to the tri- panies to save 34.7mn tonnes of coal and cut
bunal had not been served notice of the appeal carbon emissions by 60.2mn tonnes, the latter
so had not been appraised of Adani’s arguments. said.
The issues rests on Adani’s plans to expand The decision comes as international coal
the Udupi coal-power plant to 1,600MW. Gov- prices have risen and the government has put
ernment approval has been pending since 2015. pressure on coal importers to buy in more coal
However, local communities including Janajag- in a bid to meet domestic demand for electricity.
riti Samithi, a civil society group which was the In May, three India state governments said
petitioner in the tribunal, oppose the proposed they will buy in 10.5mn tonnes in the near
expansion. future in a bid to combat power cuts, potentially
‘The project proponent operated the coal- tightening global coal markets and pushing up
power plant with gross disregard for environ- prices.™
mental rules, causing irreparable damage to
the ecology of the region and loss of livelihoods

P8 www. NEWSBASE .com Week 43 25•October•2022