Green nod for GAIL’s power plant in MP

NEW DELHI: After giving green nods to some long pending defence projects, the government on Friday gave environment clearance to public sector undertaking GAIL for setting up a 380 mw gas-based power plant in Guna district of Madhya Pradesh.

The project will be located within GAIL’s existing LPG manufacturing facility-cum-compressor station at Vijaypur, one km west of the Agra-Mumbai highway.

“Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) had cleared it after environment impact assessment of the project in its last meeting in May. The formal clearance has now been given, paving the way for GAIL to start construction,” said an official of the environment ministry.

The ministry took three years to give its final clearance after approving the project’s terms of reference (ToR) in June 2011.

The power plant, which is to be constructed at an estimated cost of Rs 1,209 crore, will employ nearly 200 people during the construction phase. Around 100 people will be employed during the operational phase of the project.

The approval came as the ministry under the new government has decided to give clearances on priority to defence-related projects and those of state-owned companies. More green approvals for power/mining projects and key infrastructure projects are expected in the coming months.

The ministry had earlier given its nod to a major naval infrastructure project at Karwar in Karnataka, a radar station at Narcondam in Andaman & Nicobar Islands and many other coastal facilities along both the eastern and western coasts.

Besides, it has also decided to fast-track border road projects within 100 km of the Line of Actual Control (LaC) along the India-China border.