THIRUVANATHAPURAM: A small hydroelectric project (SHEP) in Thrissur district is showing how tenacious red tape can be. Bowing to State Forest Department's pressure, the KSEB has resubmitted the 7.5MW Anakkayam SHEP for Central clearance, 21 years after it was okayed by the MoEF. The KSEB is fuming since it had tendered and awarded the work.
After getting clearance under the Forest Conservation Act in 1990, the KSEB had remitted Rs 10,38,540 to meet compensatory afforestation expenses in 1992. In 1990 itself, 290.35 hectares of revenue land was handed over to the Forest Department for seven KSEB schemes, including Anakkayam. But the eight hectares needed for the Anakkayam project in the Vazhachal Forest Division was not transferred. On December 30, 2010, Principal Secretary (Power) Paul Antony reminded the Forest Department that the Centre's approval was not 'inprinciple' as was being construed by a top Forest official, but the ''final approval;'' ''and that there is no condition of having to revert back to Government of India with a compliance report.'' The Principal Secretary, Forests, himself had noted in November 2010 that the KSEB's argument was convincing and that the land should be handed over at the earliest. But in March 2011, the Principal Chief Conservator of Forests and Head of Forest Force T M Manoharan stated that the KSEB had not taken over the project area and in the interim, the Centre had issued fresh guidelines regarding forest land. Besides, the KSEB had deviated from the original proposal.
''The Divisional Forest Officer, Vazhachal, and the Chief Conservator of Forests, Central Circle, Thrissur, have expressed their view that permission from National Board of Wildlife and environmental clearance are required as the impugned forest land proposed for the Anakkayam Project falls within the buffer zone of the Parambikkulam Tiger Reserve and Elephant Reserve No: 9. Approval of Government of India is required for the deviation from the original proposal with regard to digging of underground tunnel,'' the PCCF and HoFF noted in his report.
But KSEB officials say the tunnel issue was settled in 1989 itself. Also, the new guidelines pertain to projects that attract the provisions of Environment Impact Assessment. Since Anakkayam is below 24 MW, no EIA is required, they said.