Socio-Environmental Governance Aspects of Identified Thermal Power Plants in Telangana
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Socio-Environmental Regulatory Governance Aspects of Thermal Power Plants in Telangana Issues, Challenges and Ways Forward Research Report: Jan-Dec, 2017 Supported by a Fellowship from the Girish Sant Memorial Committee, Pune 1 Acknowledgements This Research Report, based on a one year intense study and engagement, could not have been possible without moral and material support from the Girish Sant Memorial Committee, established to assist young researchers and activists to continue public-spirited work in the development sector, with a specific focus on energy and electricity. The Author, who by sheer co-incidence happens to share her birthday with Girish Sant, has drawn inspiration and energy from his life and work, as documented in numerous reports and also shared by his fellow-travelers. This Report could never have come this far, but for the extensive encouragement, detailed inputs, intense conversations, cogent critiques and consistent engagement of my mentors Shripad Dharmadhikary and Sreekumar Nhalur, from who I have indeed learnt A LOT in the past year. I have also been abundantly inspired from the conversations with numerous young and still young researchers of PEG, whose words, work and wisdom I have relied upon in this Report as well, albeit in a small measure. A significant number of persons from within the civil society, administration, media, independent experts, researchers have contributed in multiple ways by adding fibre to this Report and by sharing their experiences, documents, insights and I am whole heartedly thankful to each one of them. A long list of persons who assisted at various points of writing this report is annexed at the end and any omissions would only be inadvertent. Most of all, I wish to convey my embracing gratitude to the large numbers of women and other villagers from the dalit, adivasi, landless, small farmer, forest cultivating communities of all the villages I visited – who while facing and challenging the social and environmental impacts of the Thermal Plants in numerous ways, confided in me with their perspectives from the ground, patiently took me around and made me see reality, as it is ! Throughout, my mother stood by me like a rock, like a flower, like always and was my mentor at home, following up with my progress on a periodical basis and help me stick to my timelines and focus, amidst a flurry of other activity and her own health limitations. A lot has been researched and written within Telangana and across India on the subject matter and this Report adds precious little to radically redefine the discourse. However, it humbly attempts to closely observe the trajectory of a few TPPs in the new state, the regulatory framework and tries to offer a specific set of suggestions that could be considered by the concerned authorities and civil society in the short, medium and long-term to improve the socio-environmental regulatory governance of Thermal Power Plants, both in Telangana and elsewhere. Any and all conclusions, inferences as well as errors in the Report are my sole responsibility. Any feedback is welcome and appreciated. 2 Table of Contents Acknowledgements ................................................................................ 2 Index of Abbreviations ........................................................................... 5 Executive Summary ................................................................................ 6 PART I: INTRODUCTION ......................................................................... 10 1. About The Study ..................................................................................................................................... 10 2. Thermal Plants in Telangana: An Overview ............................................................................................ 11 PART II: LEGAL AND REGULATORY FRAMEWORK ................................... 16 3. Key Legislative, Statutory, Policy Provisions ........................................................................................... 17 4. Overview of the Key Institutional and Regulatory Entities .................................................................... 21 5. Sequence of Steps in the socio-environmental clearance and oversight process of a TPP ................... 30 Part III: SOCIO-ENVIRONMENTAL GOVERNANCE ASPECTS OF IDENTIFIED THERMAL POWER PLANTS IN TELANGANA ............................................ 37 6. Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant ............................................................................................................. 38 7. Yadadri Thermal Power Plant ................................................................................................................. 70 8. NTPC Ramagundam Thermal Power Plant ............................................................................................. 87 9. Kothagudem Thermal Power Station (KTPS) ........................................................................................ 109 Part – IV: OBSERVATIONS & SUGGESTIONS .......................................... 126 10. Observations on Socio-Environmental Governance...................................................................... 127 11. Suggestions to strengthen Socio-Environmental Governance ..................................................... 134 PART V: ANNEXURES ........................................................................... 144 12. Summary of Field Visit and R&R of the ............................................................................................ 145 13. Relevant Extracts of the Minutes of the Meetings of Expert Appraisal Committee (Thermal) - EAC (T) 151 14. Key Extracts from the Report of Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) on Performance Audit on ‘Environmental Clearance and Post Clearance Monitoring (Report 39 of 2016) ......................................... 163 15. Relevant Extracts of the Rehabilitation & Resettlement (R&R) Policy (July, 2017) of National Thermal Power Corporation ......................................................................................................................... 166 16. Relevant Extracts from the Judgments of the Hon’ble Supreme Court, High Courts and National Green Tribunal .............................................................................................................................................. 168 17. PCB Appointments Case: Relevant Extracts from the Judgement of the Hon’ble Supreme Court dt. 22nd Sep, 2017............................................................................................................................................... 177 3 18. Eleven Years of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 1994; How Effective Has It Been? 181 19. Compilation of Photographs ............................................................................................................. 193 20. List of Reading and Reference Materials .......................................................................................... 198 21. Index of Persons Contacted .............................................................................................................. 208 4 Index of Abbreviations Acronym Full Form Acronym Full Form ASSO Associated Chambers of Commerce LIFE Legal Initiatives in Forests and CHAM and Industry of India Environment BTPP Bhadradri Thermal Power Plant MoEF & Ministry of Environment, Forests and CC Climate Change CAG Comptroller and Auditor General MoP Ministry of Power CII Confederation of Indian Industry NABET National Accreditation Board of Education and Training CPCB Central Pollution Control Board NGT National Green Tribunal CTE Consent to Establish NTPC National Thermal Power Corporation CTO Consent to Operate OCMMS Online Consent Management and Monitoring System CSO Civil Society Organization OM Office Memorandum CSR Corporate Social Responsibility PEG Prayas Energy Group DM District Magistrate PESA Panchayats (Extension to Scheduled Areas) Act, 1996 EAC Expert Appraisal Committee PP Project Proponent EC Environmental Clearance QCI Quality Council of India EIA Environment Impact Assessment RO Regional Office (of MoEF & CC) EMP Environment Management Plan R&R Resettlement and Rehabilitation EPA Environment Protection Act, 1986 SC Supreme Court EPH Environmental Public Hearing SEIAA State Environment Impact Assessment Authority EPTRI Environment Protection Training SERC State Electricity Regulatory and Research Institute Commission ERC EIA Resource Centre, New Delhi SIA Social Impact Assessment ETP Effluent Treatment Plant SPCB State Pollution Control Board FCI Fertilizer Corporation of India T-JAC Telangana Joint Action Committee FICCI Federation of Indian Chambers of ToR Terms of Reference Commerce and Industry FRA Forest Rights Act, 2006 TPP Thermal Power Plant GO Government Order TRS Telangana Rashtra Samiti GoI Government of India TSGENC Telangana State Generation O Corporation HRF Human Rights Forum TS-iPASS Telangana State Industrial Projects Approval & Self Certification System IEC Information, Education & TSTPP Telangana Super Thermal Power Communication Plant KICS Knowledge in Civil Society UoI Union of India KTPS Kothagudem Thermal Power YTPP Yadadri Thermal Power Plant Station LARR Land Acquisition, Resettlement and ZLWWD Zero Liquid Waste Water Discharge Rehabilitation Act, 2013 5 Executive Summary The present work is based on a one-year study, enabled by a Fellowship from the Girish Sant Memorial Committee (GSMC), Pune and focuses on the regulatory institutional