MoEF says no to Athirapally project Story Dated: Tuesday, January 5, 2010 19:16 hrs IST
http://week.manoramaonline.com/cgi-bin/MMOnline.dll/portal/ep/contentView.do?contentId=6522255&programId=1073754912&pageTypeId=1073754893&contentType=EDITORIAL 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. -- 0091 9746339846
-- You received this message because you are subscribed to the Google Groups "Green Youth Movement" group. To post to this group, send an email to [email protected]. To unsubscribe from this group, send email to [email protected]. For more options, visit this group at http://groups.google.com/group/greenyouth?hl=en-GB.
