New Delhi: The NTPC Ltd’s power generation capacity crosses 71 GW with successful completion of the trial operation of first unit of 660 MW North Karanpura super thermal power project, Jharkhand (3×660 MW) today.
The project will provide affordable power to the states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, and Odisha and has a coal source within a 10-kilometer radius.
Now, the total installed capacity of NTPC’s plants has gone up to 71544 MW in the country, according to an official statement issued on Monday.
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The project has been envisaged with air cooled condenser (ACC), which has 1/3rd water footprint as compared to water cooled condenser (WCC). According to a senior officer of the NTPC, the technology used in the plant reduced water requirement by about 80% as compared to conventional power generation stations.
The foundation for this NTPC project in Jharkhand was laid by then Prime Minister Atal Bihari Vajpayee on March 6, 1999. The then target for completion of the project and production of electricity was set for 2002-2003.
But disputes regarding compensation, rehabilitation and jobs etc. for the villagers whose land was acquired to build the plant persisted from its beginning. Land from six villages was taken for the project when the old land acquisition law was in force. Subsequently, a new law regarding land acquisition was enacted, which stated that the acquired land would be returned to the farmer if the project did not start in five years.
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When work under the project started after seven years due to delay in land acquisition among many other reasons, questions on compensation policy, rehabilitation arrangements, jobs to the affected etc. came to the fore.
The work kept getting affected by dharnas, demonstrations and agitations by the people. The last 23 years have recorded more than a hundred clashes between the NTPC, administration, police and the displaced farmers, with innumerable incidents of firing, baton charge and violence.
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In March last year, a violent clash took place between the displaced people and the police, where the protestors torched 56 vehicles of Simplex, a company associated with NTPC. A total of 27 people from both sides were injured in the clash. The dispute remained unresolved despite several agreements reached between the NTPC, the administration and the villagers.
