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A CORRESPONDENT
NUMALIGARH: Numaligarh Refinery Limited (NRL) has got environmental clearance for its mega-expansion project of Rs. 22,594 crore from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC). The ministery gave the nod for the environment clearance to the project for expansion of the refinery from 3 MMTPA (million metric tonne per annum) to 9 MMTPA in an area of 333.5 hectares located at village Ponkagrant in Golaghat district.
In the approval letter F.No.J-11011/274/2015-IA II (I) dated July 27, 2020, the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change stated, "Based on the proposal submitted by the project proponent and recommendations of the EAC (lndustry-2), Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change hereby accords environmental clearance to the project for Expansion of the Refinery from 3 MMTPA to 9 MMTPA by M/s Numaligarh Refinery Limited at Village Pankagrant, District Golaghat, Assam, under the provisions of the EIA Notification, 2006 and permission for associated activities, as per the Ministry's Notification vide S.O. 481 (E) dated 5th July, 1996 in the 'No Development Zone' of Numaligarh, subject to the compliance of terms and conditions…"
As per the approved EC, the expansion will increase the production capacity of various products, which also includes the additional products purchased from outside the refinery, in addition to the product capacities permitted in the existing environment clearances.
The total land requirement for the project is 88.4 hectares which is available in the existing refinery premises of 333.5 hectares. Additional land of 180h hectare will required for some developmental activities /ancillary facilities in 'No Development Zone' area around the existing refinery. Green belt area of 56 hectare has been developed in the refinery complex and additionally 6 hectare will be developed, covering 18.4 per cent of the total area. The estimated project cost is Rs 22,594 crore. Total capital cost earmarked towards environmental pollution control measures is Rs. 258 crore and the recurring cost (O&M) will be about Rs.12 crore per annum. It is proposed to allocate Rs 36.51 crore towards Corporate Environment Responsibility (CER).