A non-profit has accused The New Indian Express of “deleting” a report about the National Green Tribunal’s notice to Adani Group-run Mirzapur Thermal Power Plant, the Uttar Pradesh government, and the Union environment ministry over an Adani link.

The report, titled “NGT notice to Centre, UP over construction of Adani-run thermal plant on forest land”, was written by Jitendra Choubey and carried in the news daily’s print edition as well. It mentioned an NGT notice over the Adani group’s construction on forest land in UP’s Mirzapur. 

Non-profit Vindhyan Ecology and Natural History Foundation said the report had been deleted and claimed that the media outlet’s event management wing “has several tweets prominently tagging Adani Online”. 

“The New Indian Express setting ‘new’ standards in journalism…We’re glad that the company is supporting social causes through media partnerships. But we do expect an explanation for deleting such an important news item pertaining to public interest.”

At the time of writing, the report was not available online.

The New Indian Express’s report said that the NGT has issued notices “over violation of its 2016 order, which prohibited construction on the forest land in Mirzapur forest division. Reports show that the company, a subsidiary of Adani Power, has started illegal construction of walls and roads on forest land, besides encroaching on other lands.” It added that the forest land “is also a proposed sloth bear conservation reserve” in Mirzapur. 

In December 2016, the NGT had cancelled the Environmental Clearance issued on August 21, 2014 for the plant at Dadri Khurd village in Mirzapur after evidence showed that “the entire process of consideration and appraisal of the proposal to grant EC was tainted”, the report said. It quoted locals as saying that the construction was on despite the court order.  

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