Being chronically deficient in power, the Government of India launched an ambitious plan to establish a series of power plants to enhance generation capacity, under the Ultra Mega Power Projects (UMPP) programme. In this regard,
the Ministry of Power, in association with the Central Electricity Authority and Power Finance Corporation Limited, launched an initiative for the development of coal-based UMPPs in India, which are to be awarded to developers on the
basis of competitive bidding. Sixteen UMPPs were envisioned, one of which is the Cheyyur Power Project (4000 MW) that is proposed to be located near Cheyyur, situated about 96 km south of Chennai, in Kancheepuram district of
Tamil Nadu. As part of this project, a port is to be built at Panayur, about 5 km to the east of the power project site. The environmental clearances – one each for the power plant and captive port – granted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests are being challenged by the local fishing community and environmentalists in the National Green Tribunal (Southern Bench).