MoEF says no to Athirapally project
aryakrishnan ramakrishnan
Story Dated: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 19:16 hrs IST
New Delhi: The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has asked
the state government to respond within 15 days why the clearance
accorded earlier to the Athirampally hydro electric project should not
be revoked.
The MoEF decision to revoke the earlier clearance comes in the wake of
severe protests by environmental groups and scientists.
The Union ministry on July 19, 2007 had cleared the Kerala State
Electricity Board’s proposal to build a 163-mw dam on the Chalakudy
river. The clearance had sparked massive protest from environmental
activists and scientists, who accused the ministry of sounding the
death knell of a unique riparian eco-system.
The centre gave its clearance after the Expert Appraisal Committee for
River Valley & Hydroelectric Projects visited the proposed site in
April 2007.
The committee had recommended that the government should initiate
welfare measures for tribals living in the area. It also wanted
maintaining of a minimum flow of water through the Athirappally
waterfall. The clearance also limited the period for power generation
to four hours (7 pm to 11 pm) from February 1 to May 31 every year,
the driest months. This provision, according to the ministry, will
take care of tourism concerns during the lean season.
Environmentalists fear the Rs 675-crore KSEB project will affect 138.6
hectares of forestland, dry up the Athirapally waterfall and affect
tribal families living in the area.
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0091 9746339846
Tony Thomas
River Protection Forum, who led the fight.
Tony
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