<p>The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Uttarakhand government’s stand on a plea made by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), which asked it to reconsider the blanket stay it imposed on construction activity in the state.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The apex court had on May 7 stayed all construction activity in 24 hydroelectric power projects in Uttarakhand, concerned that the projects may have had a role to play in last year’s deadly floods that killed thousands of people and severely damaged properties.<br /><br />In its plea, the NTPC contended that it had in 2007 got clearances from the Central Electricity Authority and Ministry of Environment and Forests for its 171 MW-capacity Lata Tapovan project, which was delayed due to the blanket stay.<br /><br />Subsequently, a bench of Justices Vikramjit Sen and Shiva Kirti Singh agreed to hear the application. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the NTPC, urged the court to modify its May 7 order, saying that the company’s project was independent, separate and different from other hydroelectric ones. <br /><br />He said the NTPC had already begun work on the project, while others were still at a proposal stage. The company also claimed that the Rs 1527.08-crore Lata Tapovan project was not located in an eco-sensitive region.<br /><br />Taking Kumar’s submission into account, the court asked the Uttarakhand government to file its response by July 22, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had stayed projects that were found to be impacting biodiversity in two sub-basins of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. </p>
<p>The Supreme Court on Monday sought the Uttarakhand government’s stand on a plea made by the National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), which asked it to reconsider the blanket stay it imposed on construction activity in the state.<br /><br /></p>.<p>The apex court had on May 7 stayed all construction activity in 24 hydroelectric power projects in Uttarakhand, concerned that the projects may have had a role to play in last year’s deadly floods that killed thousands of people and severely damaged properties.<br /><br />In its plea, the NTPC contended that it had in 2007 got clearances from the Central Electricity Authority and Ministry of Environment and Forests for its 171 MW-capacity Lata Tapovan project, which was delayed due to the blanket stay.<br /><br />Subsequently, a bench of Justices Vikramjit Sen and Shiva Kirti Singh agreed to hear the application. Solicitor General Ranjit Kumar, appearing for the NTPC, urged the court to modify its May 7 order, saying that the company’s project was independent, separate and different from other hydroelectric ones. <br /><br />He said the NTPC had already begun work on the project, while others were still at a proposal stage. The company also claimed that the Rs 1527.08-crore Lata Tapovan project was not located in an eco-sensitive region.<br /><br />Taking Kumar’s submission into account, the court asked the Uttarakhand government to file its response by July 22, the next date of hearing.<br /><br />The Supreme Court had stayed projects that were found to be impacting biodiversity in two sub-basins of the Alaknanda and Bhagirathi rivers. </p>
