PLANET EARTH

NTPC has been a leader in the industrial sector of India in undertaking scientific studies related to thermal power generation. NTPC has pioneered several scientific studies in collaboration with national/ international institutions to develop an environmental databank e.g. Detailed Geohydrological Studies to understand the
impact of ash pond leachate on ground water and Ecological Impacts Monitoring through Remote Sensing Data have been carried out at its operating stations as discussed below.

Environment Impact Asssement Studies:

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Studies are inevitably undertaken to evaluate potential negative impacts as well as to formulate Environmental Management Plans to overcome the identified impacts. Based on the recommendations of Environmental Impact Assessment Study and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) and the conditions stipulated in the clearances from Ministry of Environment and Forests and State Pollution Control Boards, These studies consists of impact assessment in the area of the land use, water use,
socio-economic aspects, soil, hydrology, water quality, meteorology, air quality,terrestrial and aquatic ecology and noise. These studies are conducted before starting the construction as well as after operation of the plant and gives comprehensive status of the environment as existed before construction as well as in the post operational stages of the project. The EIA involves stage-by-stage evaluation of various parameters which affect the environment. Based on EIA study, wherever required, specific scientific studies are also conducted to scientifically assess the likely impact of the pollutants on the sensitive flora and fauna in the surroundings, as also, to take preventive and mitigatory measures, wherever required.


Apart from project specific EIA studies, Regional Environmental Assessment studies have been conducted for Integrated Development of Singrauli, Korba and Ramagundam areas. Such studies are of first of their kind in India and probably very few such studies have been undertaken in other countries.

Socio-economic Studies:

Detailed socio-economic studies are undertaken to establish the socio-economic status of project affected persons and rehabilitation and resettlement plans are drawn in consultation with the state government.
Rehabilitation and resettlement options include land for land (subject to availability), limited jobs with NTPC and contractors and self employment schemes. In addition, NTPC also undertakes community development activities in the surrounding villages.

Ecological Monitoring Programme: 

 NTPC has undertaken a comprehensive Ecological Monitoring Programme through Satellite Imagery Studies covering an area of about 25 Kms radius around some of its major plants. The studies have been conducted through National Remote Sensing Agency (NRSA), Hyderabad at its power stations at Ramagundam, Farakka, Korba, Vindhyachal, Rihand and Singrauli. These studies have revealed significant environmental gains in the vicinity areas of the project as a result of pursuing sound environment management practices. Some of these important gains which have been noticed are increase in dense forest area, increase in agriculture area, increase in average rainfall, decrease in waste land etc. In general, the studies, as such, have revealed that there is no significant adverse impact on the ecology due to the project activities in any of these stations. Such studies conducted from time to time around a power project have established comprehensive environment status at various post operational stages of the project.

Geo-hydrological Studies:
NTPC has conducted several geohydrological studies of the ash disposal areas at its projects (Singrauli, Rihand, Vindhyachal, Korba, Farakka and Talcher) through reputed institutions like Indian Institutes of Technology, Roorkee; Indian Institutes of Technology, Mumbai, Centre for Studies on Man and Environment, Calcutta. All these studies conclude that the leaching of heavy metals from ash occurs only under pH 4 or below. In practice, the pH of the ash water is either neutral or alkaline (7 or above) and hence the leaching of heavy metals is highly unlikely.