The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has recommended the diversion of 289.8 hectares of forest land for the Shyampur Barrage Major Micro Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh. The project site is near two wildlife sanctuaries and tiger reserves.
The project has been appraised at the central level by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC). It will also include a pressurised pipe system of about 167.93 km and a micro-network system to irrigate 27,000 hectares.
The project is expected to submerge one village, affecting 22 homestead structures due to land acquisition.
The site is about a kilometre from the National Chambal Sanctuary and 2 km from the Kela Devi Wildlife Sanctuary.
It will also impact the Kuno-Ranthambore Tiger Corridor, Ranthambore Tiger Reserve and Kuno Eco-Sensitive Zone. The interstate boundary with Rajasthan is about 1.25 km from the proposed site.
The river valley project is proposed on the Kuno River, a tributary of the Chambal River, which is part of the Yamuna Basin. It includes a 1,465-metre-long barrage with a maximum height of 21 metres. A 3,300-metre-long balancing reservoir will also be built. The reservoir will be entirely earthen and have a maximum height of 44 metres.
The project is estimated to cost Rs 1,862.50 crore. It will require 639.85 hectares of land, including 181.48 hectares of private land, 168.55 hectares of government land and 289.82 hectares of forest land.
The project area is home to recorded Schedule I species, including Hipposideros fulvus, Manis crassicaudata, Felis chaus, Felis silvestris, Prionailurus bengalensis, Prionailurus viverrinus, Caracal caracal, Panthera pardus, Panthera tigris, Paradoxurus hermaphroditus, Viverricula indica, Urva edwardsii and Platanista gangetica.
The project proponent has sought permission from the competent authorities, including the National Board for Wildlife.
In a related development, the EAC has also recommended the diversion of 190.70 hectares of forest land for the 1,300 MW PSP-05 Pumped Storage Project in West Karbi Anglong district of Assam.