---
title: "NGT Grants Four-Week Window for TANGEDCO to Secure Ennore Plant Environmental Clearances"
url: https://projectchintan.com/article/ngt-tangedco-ennore-thermal-power-plant-clearance-extension-q6ol0
publisher: Project Chintan
author: Project Chintan Newsroom
section: India
published: 2026-08-08T06:21:07.000Z
modified: 2026-08-08T10:00:04.882Z
language: en-IN
---

# NGT Grants Four-Week Window for TANGEDCO to Secure Ennore Plant Environmental Clearances

The National Green Tribunal has temporarily lifted a construction halt on the Ennore SEZ Thermal Power Plant, allowing TANGEDCO to resume operations for one month. The utility must now secure formal extensions for its expired environmental and coastal regulation clearances from the central ministry.

## Key takeaways

- TANGEDCO has a four-week window to secure environmental and CRZ clearance extensions for the Ennore SEZ plant.
- Construction was previously halted because the project's original environmental clearance expired at the end of 2025.
- The tribunal applied the 'zero period' principle to account for over four years of litigation-related delays.
- The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has already extended the project's Consent to Establish through 2030.

## Legal Deadlock Breaks at Vayalur Site

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has modified a previous injunction, authorizing the Tamil Nadu Generation and Distribution Corporation (TANGEDCO) to resume construction at the Ennore SEZ Thermal Power Plant for a four-week duration. Justice Pushpa Sathynarayana and expert member Prashant Gargava issued the directive, requiring the utility to formalize extensions for both its Environmental Clearance (EC) and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) approvals through the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) within this period.

## The 'Zero Period' Argument

Legal challenges led by Selvaraj Duraiswamy previously brought the project to a standstill on July 7, after the tribunal observed that the original environmental authorization had lapsed on December 31, 2025. TANGEDCO defended its position by citing a Ministry Office Memorandum dated October 30, 2025. This policy allows for a "zero period," where time lost to judicial proceedings—totaling four years and three months for this project—is excluded from the validity calculation of environmental permits.

## Why It Matters

TANGEDCO maintains that the Ennore facility represents a vital piece of public infrastructure necessary to satisfy the growing energy requirements of Tamil Nadu. The utility argued that continued delays would be detrimental to the public interest. While the petitioner contended that working without valid permits violates the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the NGT noted that the project is currently in the establishment phase and has not faced specific allegations of pollution.

## Key Facts

- TANGEDCO applied for a formal extension of its EC and CRZ clearances on July 15, 2026.
- The Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board has already extended the Consent to Establish (CTE) for the site until March 31, 2030.
- A Ministry scientist testified that the existing CTE is sufficient for work to proceed while the formal federal extension is processed.
- The NGT has impleaded the TNPCB as an additional respondent to the ongoing litigation.

## What Happens Next

The Ministry of Environment and the state pollution control board are required to submit detailed reports regarding the site's status and compliance. The tribunal has scheduled the next hearing for August 24, 2026, by which time TANGEDCO is expected to have made significant progress in securing the necessary federal approvals.

Source: The Hindu — National

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Canonical: https://projectchintan.com/article/ngt-tangedco-ennore-thermal-power-plant-clearance-extension-q6ol0
Reported from: The Hindu — National