NLC India to invest Rs 17k cr in developing Talabira, to plant 2.6 mn trees

State-owned NLC India Limited said on Sunday it is planning to invest more than Rs 17,000 crore for its thermal power projects and has embarked upon afforestation programme inside and outside the coal mining area in Odisha.

The Navratna company will produce 20 million tonne of coal per annum from Talabira II and III coal blocks to fuel its 4,200 MW of thermal power projects, an official of the company said.

The company is working closely with the Odisha forest department to make it a model mine by planting more trees than the mandated, under relevant policies, an NLC India official said.

The public sector undertaking has already deposited Rs 134.36 crore to Odisha Compensatory Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) account.

CAMPA fund is for compensatory afforestation and its maintenance for 10 years, catchment area treatment plan, wild life management plans and gap plantation.

"Our drive to plant and protect 25,86,700 trees inside and outside the mining lease area of Talabira II & III is higher than what is prescribed by the relevant regulations for protecting and nurturing the environment," an NLC statement said.

"Local plants such as sirisa, barakoli, ambada, mango, jackfruits and bamboo will be cultivated to develop vibrancy in the ecology," the statement said.

The per capita electricity consumption in India is estimated at around 1100 units a year, which is much lower than the comparable nations, the statement said.

NLC India's integrated project with huge green cover will ensure uninterrupted electricity to lakhs of households and commercial establishments through NLC's 3,200 MW Talabira Thermal Power Project in Odisha and NLC Tamil Nadu Power Limited's 1,000 MW project in Tuticorin district, it added.

This will attract thousands of direct and indirect job opportunities and the recruitments are already on, the official said.

NLC India will undertake compensatory afforestation. It will plant 13,27,702 saplings across 2089 hectare land in Sambalpur, Sonepur and Bolangir districts.

It will also plant nearly 12,41,000 trees inside the mining lease area. In addition, 18,400 saplings will be planted in the safety zone area and outer periphery of the mine.

Recently, NLC India had announced compensation for the project affected families with higher land prices, pakka houses in townships with supporting modern infrastructure besides monthly disbursements in lieu of employment for the youth to enable them to pursue vocations / professions of their choices.

The company also promised to support local communities through institutional support for capacity building.

As a gesture of gratitude towards the iconic freedom fighter Veer Surendra Sai, it will develop his birthplace as a tourist destination at Khinda involving Odisha Tourism Department, Sambalpur, he said.

NLC India to start mining from Talabira-II, III coal blocks in FY21

Government owned navratna company NLC India Ltd plans to commence mining from its Talabira-II & III coal blocks in Odisha's Sambalpur from the next fiscal year. Annual production capacity from the coal blocks with estimated deposits of 554 million tonnes (mt) is pegged at 20 mt.

“Coal extracted from the blocks will feed NLC's planned 3200 Mw Talabira Thermal Power project in Odisha and the company's 1000 Mw coal-based project at Tuticorin (Tamil Nadu). Payment of compensation for the families affected by the Talabira-II & III coal blocks is under way. Total compensation is worked out to be Rs 1200 crore. We have already disbursed Rs 30 crore,” said a source in the know.

Adani Enterprises has been chosen the Mine Developer cum Operator (MDO) for the coal blocks.

Coal mining from the blocks will help in electrification of lakhs of households and commercial establishments. The integrated energy projects are anticipated to attract investments in excess of Rs 20,000 crore and additional investments in a staggered manner for the mining project, thus spawning job opportunities.

In 2016, the Government of India had allocated Talabira-II & III coal blocks to NLC India under discretionary route to fuel the company's power projects.

NLC India has offered attractive rehabilitation and resettlement packages to all project affected villages of the coal blocks. Last week, executives drawn from NLC detailed the packages to the affected people in the presence of the district administration officials. The revised compensation package offered by the company is higher than the prescribed norms under Odisha Resettlement & Rehabilitation Policy, 2006 and Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.

“Families residing at coal blocks will be given significant compensation for their land at a rationalized market value to draw parity among the villages. Eligible families will get pakka houses with 1,067 square feet of super built up area, including cowshed - on 4,400 square feet of plot in newly constructed colonies. To provide sustainable living in lieu of employment, families with eligible adult members will be given lump sum payment in addition to the monthly financial assistance of Rs 3,000 with biennial increase of Rs 500, as suggested by the district authorities”, NLC India said in a statement.