The Comptroller and Auditor General (CAG) has observed that Gujarat government had failed to follow statutory norms or take action against environmental violations by Adani Power Limited (APL).
The CAG in its report on Economic sector for period ended March 31, 2017, observed that APL had violated the provisions of Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest (Conservation) Act while setting up the Mundra-Dehgam transmission line to evacuate power from its Ultra-Mega Power Project (UMPP) in Mundra, Kutch. Mundra-Dehgam section is a 430-km transmission line - a part of the country's first private sector high voltage direct current power transmission system set up by APL.
According to the CAG, APL required prior permission under Forest Conservation Act of 1980 and Wildlife Protection Act of 1972 for diversion of 58.968 hectares (18.20 hectare forest land and 40.768 hectares non-forest) of Wild Ass Sanctuary (WAS) in Dhrangadhra for laying the transmission line. Adanis applied for this in January, 2009. Before it could receive permission, in March 2009, it was found during field inspections that APL had begun laying transmission line. APL immediately stopped the work but commissioned its transmission line in July 2009, after receiving in-principle approval from MoEF & CC in May, 2009. However, it did so before it got approval from the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests (PCCF) (Wildlife). The PCCF gave his nod in September 2010, 13 months after commissioning of the line.
State erred
The CAG noted that even the state government had erred in the case. "The state government granted permission to one user agency to lay transmission lines in the forest land for non-forest purpose without obtaining prior approval of the government of India, in violation of the provisions of FCA, 1980," it noted.
The CAG also said that though MoEF & CC had ordered the Gujarat government to enquire into violation and file complaint against the persons prima facie found guilty way back in May 2015, the state was yet to take any action.
CAG also found APL not following the guidelines of using insulated cables for transmission lines that passed through Little Rann of Kutch, which is home to flamingoes and international migratory birds. This, CAG stated, endangered the lives of birds which were exposed to collision and electrocution.