HYDERABAD: The Joint Committee of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) concluded that the Telangana took up irrigation works in Palamuru-Rangareddy project, instead of permitted drinking water component works. The NGT said that it is a violation of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2016. The the Joint Committee suggested imposition of an environmental compensation of Rs 3,70,87,500 on Telangana.
However, two members from Telangana differed with other members of the joint committee and said that the ongoing construction activities are for drinking water purpose only. A seven-member committee was formed to look into the violations in Palamuru-Rangareddy following a case was filed by a Kadapa district resident D Chandramouleswara Reddy.
The Palamuru Rangareddy LIS is conceived as an irrigation scheme to lift 90 tmcft out of which the drinking water component is only of 7.15 tmcft. It is opined by the committee that the construction activities are being carried out for creating the full 90 tmcft capacity. Thus, it cannot be said that the project proponent has confined themselves to the drinking water project alone.
“Huge amount of earthen/rock materials have been excavated and dumped at various locations. Dumping of over burden or excavated materials and stabilisation of over burden dumps are not carried out properly especially along the river side,” the NGT report stated.
During inspection, it was observed that the construction of reservoir was in progress and people from the tandas and villages, located in the submerged area of the reservoir had been displaced.Hence, there is a displacement of people due to the project and R&R policy is being implemented by the State government, the report said.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) had accorded Terms of Reference (ToR) to the project for carrying out pre-construction activities only, whereas it was found that full scale construction is going on. Hence, the committee is of the view that there are violations with regard to the environmental laws.The remedial measures suggested in the report to restore the damage caused to the environment included establishment of a separate environment cell.
Observations recorded
The committee report recorded the observations of the TS officials including Mahbubnagar Collector S Venkata Rao and Mahbubnagar Assistant Director of Mines and Geology P Vijaya Rama Raju: “During the visit, it was noticed that though the subject project has two components i.e, drinking water and irrigation, the work related to only drinking water purpose is being undertaken. The Chief Engineer informed that for the purpose of executing irrigation component of the project, Environmental Clearance from the Ministry of Environment and Forests, and TOR has been accorded to the irrigation component Phase-II. Further, public hearing was held on August 10, 2021 the application of Environmental Clearance is under active consideration.”
Construction work
The Palamuru Rangareddy LIS is conceived as an irrigation scheme to lift 90 tmcft out of which the drinking water component is only of 7.15 tmcft. It is opined by the committee that the construction activities are being carried out for creating the full 90 tmcft capacity.