Through an Office Memorandum dated 29th October, 2020 the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (“MoEFCC”) has issued clarification regarding coal transportation by Thermal Power Plants in line with a previous notification dated 21st May, 2020.
The previous Notification aims at achieving coal transportation by railway wagons and/or belt conveyors from delivery point of coal mine to thermal power plant and it is the responsibility of power plant operators to set up such infrastructure pertaining to rail or conveyor belt system. Therefore, the condition in the Environmental Clearance, as regards setting up rail infrastructure or conveyor belt system shall remain operative.
However, through the present Office Memorandum, MoEFCC has informed that till such time infrastructure regarding rail/conveyor system is not established, coal may be transported by road with tarpaulin covered trucks.
It further clarifies that the existing conditions in the Environmental Clearance stand modified so as to make the above conditions operative. Therefore, the project proponents need not approach the Ministry to seek temporary permissions for road transportations subject to transportation through tarpaulin covered trucks.
Source: Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change
