VISAKHAPATNAM: Days after the State government permitted the diversion of 128.61 hectares of forest land for the proposed 1,350 MW Upper Sileru Pumped Storage Project in Alluri Sitarama Raju (ASR) district, the Andhra Pradesh Adivasi Joint Action Committee (JAC) demanded withdrawal of the order, arguing that the project threatens ecologically sensitive forests and the livelihoods of tribal communities dependent on them.
In a statement, AP Adivasi JAC district Chairman Rama Rao Dora criticised the G.O. issued by the Environment and Forests Department on July 24, which allows Andhra Pradesh Power Generation Corporation Limited (APGENCO) to divert forest land in Chintapalli Division for the pumped storage project proposed between the existing Guntawada and Donkarayi reservoirs.
The State government order follows the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s final forest clearance granted earlier this month.
While the Centre reduced the proposed diversion from 193.01 hectares to 128.61 hectares, it imposed several conditions, including compensatory afforestation over 291.84 hectares of land, of which 163.84 hectares are suitable for plantations in Donnikotta village of Nallamada mandal in Sri Sathya Sai district.
APGENCO has also been directed to implement wildlife mitigation measures, undertake catchment area treatment and soil conservation works, maintain environmental flows in the Sileru River and ensure compliance with the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
Questioning the compensatory afforestation plan, Rama Rao Dora has stated that plantations in another district cannot offset the loss of natural forests in the biodiverse Agency region or replace ecosystems that have sustained Adivasi communities for generations. The JAC also criticised the Forest Department’s approach towards tribal land rights, alleging that while Adivasis face prolonged scrutiny and procedural hurdles in securing land titles under the Forest Rights Act, forest clearances for large infrastructure projects are processed with relative ease. The JAC further questioned the government’s decision to proceed with the project despite opposition from tribal communities.