Cuttack, May 19: Work for the thermal power plant being set up by K.V.K. Nilachal Power at Kandarei has hit a road block with Orissa High Court imposing restrictions on it.

The court has ordered that status quo be maintained with regard to any kind of construction for the power project at Kandarei under Athagarh tehsil of Cuttack district.

The division bench of Chief Justice V. Gopala Gowda and Justice S.K. Mishra passed the interim order yesterday on a petition seeking judicial intervention against construction for the power project on the ground that it was being undertaken in violation of strict wildlife norms. Represented by its president Narayan Sahu, the Charidesha Krushak Surakhya Sangh filed the petition.

KVK Nilachal Power is to set up 1400MW (4X350 MW) coal-based power project at Kandarai. The project would be set up in two phases. The first phase will be 250MW and the second phase will be 1050MW. The total land requirement is around 984 acres, which involves nearly 158 acres of forest land. The petitioner said the plant site was within 3-4 km of the boundary of Kapilash Wildlife Sanctuary, which was duly notified on an 125 sqkm area in April last year.

Construction of any industrial unit within 10 km of the boundary of the protected area without obtaining clearance from the National Board for Wildlife violates Supreme Court orders, the petitioner said. The court ordered that the matter be put up before it after the summer vacation.