Tangedco drops conveyor belt plan on Kosasthalaiyar

THE Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (Tangedco) on Thursday submitted before the southern bench of National Green Tribunal (NGT), that it had decided to drop the proposal to build coal conveyor belt over the Kosasthalaiyar river and proceed with the original route for which environmental clearance was granted.

- SV KRISHNA CHAITANYA

The NGT had taken up suo motu case based on TNIE articles published in 2021 that highlighted how Tangedco was violating rules in building the conveyor belt for the 1,720-MW Ennore SEZ Project by deviating from approved alignment.

In its earlier ruling in 2022, the NGT had directed Tangedco to seek an amendment to its environmental clearance, following a report from a joint committee that examined the deviations.

The committee, appointed by the NGT, recommended that Tangedco obtain necessary approvals for the route changes, especially as the deviations fell within the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ).