NGT directive a setback to UPCL

Tribunal worries about irreparable loss to the Western Ghats

The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has directed Karnataka Power Transmission Corporation Limited (KPTCL) not to venture into any defforestation activity in the stretch of reserve forest land measuring 8.3 kms in Balur reserve forest of Western Ghats in Chikmagalur district (also known as Balur state forest) to make way for the 400 KV Double Circuit Transmission (DCT) lines. Out of 180.09 kms stretch, the DCT lines would also pass through 33.66 kilometres of forest land, which include 88.643 hectares of reserve forest.

With this direction, the KPTCL’s proposal of constructing DCT lines from Udupi Power Corporation Limited’s (UPCL) generation station at Yellur in Udupi to the receiving station situated at Shantigram in Hassan district comes to a halt.

The Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF), in an order dated January 17, 2012, had granted permission to divert forest land for the construction of DCT lines. However, with NGT ordering KPTCL not to fell trees, the project proponents would suffer setback to supply power produced at UPCL’s thermal power plant of 1,200 MW installed capacity at Yellur. The State had already entered into an agreement with UPCL to purchase power and to distribute the same in the State.

In the order dated March 7, 2012, NGT acting chairperson Justice A S Naidu and expert member G K Pandey have added five more conditions to the permission granted by MoEF with regard to the diversion of forest lands. The order came in the wake of an appeal filed by Janajagrithi Samithi through its secretary Jayanth Kumar. The appellant had pleaded that the operation of forest clearance dated January 17, 2012 should be stayed; otherwise “irreparable loss would be caused to the Western Ghats”.

Hearing the appeal, the tribunal said, “The KPTCL shall not fell any trees or destroy the biodiversity in the stretch of reserve forest land measuring 8.3 kms.”

The tribunal also restricted KPTCL to fell minimum number of trees in rest of the forest lands for which MoEF clearance has been granted. The tribunal suggested KPTCL to adopt the procedure of trimming the branches than uprooting trees, as and when possible.
“Maximum height of the transmission towers in forest areas should be 70 metres or above and steps shall be taken to promote and nourish the undergrowth and for afforestation with endemic species,” the tribunal directed.