The National Green Tribual has stayed construction of a 300 MW power plant in Mumdra, Gujarat, till the project gets forest clearance from the environment ministry.
The ministry had last week issued a notice to the company — OPG Gujarat Power Limited — asking why its environment
clearance should not be suspended for concealing information.
The company had informed the tribunal that it will require a small piece of forest land for its sea pipe-line, which was not disclosed to the ministry while seeking environment clearance.
The environment clearance was challenged in the tribunal by local fishermen and villagers protesting against the adverse impact of the project on the local ecology. The tribunal said that the environment clearance letter for the project clearly stated that the construction cannot start until all clearances are obtained. The company application for seeking forest clearance was rejected by the Gujarat government before the ministry issued the show cause notice.