Hearing on environment clearance to Machchakata coal block cancelled

NEW DELHI: Local protests forced authorities to cancel a public hearing for environment clearance to Machchakata coal block in Odisha’s Angul district for the third time on Thursday. The block is being developed by Adani Enterprises for the state utilities of Gujarat and Maharashtra.

"There was a section of people who were against the hearing being held," Angul collector Sachin R Jadhav told ET. "Their argument that they had not agreed to cede land should not count for an environmental hearing," he added.

This is the third time such a hearing — a prerequisite under the Environment Protection Act — is being cancelled for the block, despite presence of 15 platoons of policemen.

Activists had also questioned legitimacy of the public hearing on Adani Enterprises’ plan to develop Machchakata coal block, citing a Supreme Court order. The 1,244 million tonne of mineable reserves were allocated in 2006 to Mahaguj Collieries, a 60:40 joint venture between the state electricity utilities of Maharashtra and Gujarat.

Adani hopes to develop the block starting with production of 30 mt of coal per year.