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Norochcholai
coal power to steam ahead The project for which the Chinese Government is providing assistance and which was delayed for over 10 years due to protests from residents and the Catholic church, is to get under way shortly. However public protests continues despite the CEB making plans to lay the foundation. Last week a team of CEB officers who were scheduled to visit the area to carry out a public awareness program called off the visit. The Sunday Times learns that the villagers in the area were planning to stage a protest against the CEB officers. Currently one of the main problems faced by the CEB is the quality of the equipment used for the project. As the project is funded by the Chinese Government it is accepted that the equipment to be used for the project comes from China. However the equipment does not meet international standards as the Chinese follow their own standards which are not recognized internationally. A CEB official said that the Chinese equipment does not meet the international standards of IEC, as revealed by a technical assessment team. CEB officials on the negotiating board had on several occasions raised concern over the quality of the equipment. A CEB official told The Sunday Times that technically the equipment would function, but in the long run, taking into consideration the environmental issue, there may be adverse effects. “As the main controversy is over environmental pollution, this issue has to be addressed. The permitted emission standards in China are very high .It is not only the setting up of a coal power plant but other factors that should be looked into. Further, as this is the first such project, the CEB should not leave any room for criticism, especially regarding the environment,” he said. |
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