HYDERABAD: Around 1,850 trees will be axed at Shamshabad for laying TRANSCO’s overhead power transmission lines. The trees to be chopped fall under the Chilkur forest block and are part of the Eco Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Mrugavani National Park. The forest clearance proposal was recommended last month in a meeting convened by the Regional Empowered Committee, Chennai, of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, after it was cleared by the Telangana government.
As per the minutes of the meeting, the power lines are to be laid from Kethireddipalli to TSPA Junction at a cost of `176 crore. Around 7 Ha of forest area must be cleared for the project. To compensate for the loss of forest area, afforestation will be undertaken over an area of 13 Ha under Mamidipally reserved forest at Gaganpahad.
While the ESZ of Mrugavani National Park is yet to be finalised, the Forest Department has considered areas under 10 km radius of the national park as the default ESZ. The proposal was cleared by an ESZ committee meeting, which was held in February under the chairmanship of the Rangareddy District Collector. As per Central government guidelines, it is not imperative to obtain clearance from the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife for this project.
Justifying the forest clearance, the Forest Department contended that as per TRANSCO, any other alternative route for laying power lines would require clearance of a larger forest area. The Chilkur forest block was originally 490 Ha, of which 360 Ha accounts for the Mrugavani National Park. The remainder is reserved forest, of which around 18 Ha was already diverted in 2007 for the ORR.
HIGH COURT SATISFIED WITH PCB REPORT
Hyderabad: The Telangana High Court on Monday disposed of a PIL, after the Pollution Control Board (PCB) submitted a report stating that it has shut down the illegal quarries in Rangareddy and Sangareddy districts. The PCB prepared the report after the High Court sought its response on the PIL, which claimed that no action was being taken against the illegal quarries in the two districts. The court was satisfied the said report and closed the case