Sharavathy power project: MoEF panel questions govt over incomplete info on impact

The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited's (KPCL) proposal involves building a pumped storage project (PSP) requires diversion of 133.81 acre forest, clearing of 16,041 trees in an area home to rare and endangered species.

Bengaluru: A high level committee under the Union environment ministry has sought explanation from state and central authorities over the proposal to build a 2000 MW power plant in the Sharavathy Valley Lion Tailed Macaque (LTM) Sanctuary.

The Karnataka Power Corporation Limited's (KPCL) proposal involves building a pumped storage project (PSP) and requires diversion of 133.81 acre forest, clearing of 16,041 trees in an area home to rare and endangered species.

As per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) rules, KPCL has to take clearance from wildlife as well as forest authorities.

The National Board of Wildlife had recently given conditional approval that the project will be reviewed again after getting approval from the FAC.

The Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change noted that crucial details were missing in the proposal.

"It (the proposal) does not highlight the cumulative impact of the projects, existing and upcoming hydro-power projects in the basin and carrying capacity of the river basin. So, the User Agency may be directed to take up both the studies as part of the EIA report," it said.

Further the FAC said the environment impact assessment by WAPCOS failed to provide details. "In that particular report the impacts of the project on aquatic flora & fauna is deliberated. But in the report, the impacts are not discussed in detail," seeking a mitigation plan.

Activists have long argued that by failing to submit plans for upgrading the transmission lines, the KPCL was pushing the environment ministry into a fait accompli situation. During the deliberation, the FAC pointed to the site inspection report by the Deputy Inspector General of Forests (DIGF) of the MoEF regional office.

It noted that while KPCL claimed that power generated by the PSP will be evacuated through existing transmission lines, there were no records to show whether the said lines were built after obtaining approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act. "Prima facie, the transmission line erected from Gerusoppa to Talagoppa (which is within the sanctuary limits) appears to be a violation of FC Act, 1980," it said, quoting the DIGF report.

The FAC highlighted the threats posed by the PSP as flagged by the DIGF, including the fragmentation of the fragile ecosystem and the impact on the LTMs besides the violation in building the transmission line. Stating that 18000 hectares of forest land has been leased to KPCL in the past, the DIGF had recommended rejection of the PSP proposal.

Before deciding to defer the proposal, the FAC noted that her superior officer, deputy director general of forests (DDGF), had recommended the proposal and the state government has now sought clearance. The committee asked the state government as well as the DDGF for their response to the DIGF report.

Further, it asked the state government to provide compliance to the suggestions made by the NBWL for avoiding felling of 12000 trees by building a 12.3 km road underground and another 518 trees by exploring alternatives to existing plan.