HYDERABAD: In a significant development, a two-member committee, constituted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests as per the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), has recommended imposing environmental compensation of Rs 53 crore on the state government for the ecological damage caused due to illegal construction and expansion of Sitamma Sagar Multi-Purpose Project.
Upon finding that the project was found to be under construction without prior environmental clearance, the Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued a closure order to stop the construction in January 2023. During the same period, Tellam Naresh of Khammam district also filed a petition with the NGT, following which the southern bench of the Tribunal ordered the ministry to constitute a committee to assess the damage caused to the ecology and environment due to the construction of the project without environmental clearance.
According to the report submitted by the committee to the NGT, the project was initiated by the state government without prior environmental clearance, causing irreversible ecological damage. The violation took place from June 30, 2021 and it was stopped on March 23, 2023, which amounts to 632 days of violation, the report added.
As per the norms set by NGT, the environmental compensation is calculated at 1.5 per cent of the project’s cost. As the project cost is `3481.9 crore, the committee recommended `53.41 crore environmental compensation, which includes remediation cost and natural & community resource augmentation.
“The compensation is calculated to address the irreparable damage caused by project activities and ensure that a Remediation Plan and Natural and Community Resource Augmentation initiatives are carried out in addition to the requirements raised during the public hearing. The cost derived will be utilised for compensatory remediation measures to restore environmental balance and provide sustainable benefits to the affected communities,” the report added.
The committee also said that the state government has yet to apply for a forest clearance to divert 322.98 acres of the forest land.
Meanwhile, the Ministry of Environment and Forest has urged the NGT that the payment of this compensation by the state government should not be construed as deemed permission to resume construction of the project.