CHENNAI: The southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has dismissed the petition challenging the Tamil Nadu government's ambitious Mettur-Sarabanga lift irrigation project, which is being implemented at an estimated cost of Rs 565 crore in Salem district and would benefit 4,238 acres upon completion.
An injunction was sought against the project by a former Member of Parliament from DMK AKS Vijayan alleging irregularity in the construction. According to the applicant, the project requires prior environmental clearance and the government was proceeding with the project without obtaining the mandatory clearance under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.
The NGT bench comprising Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member Saibal Dasgupta after hearing all parties including Union Environment Ministry, Tamil Nadu government and State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, besides considering the report of joint committee constituted by it to look into the allegations has concluded that there was "no violation of environment laws".
"The applicant is not entitled to get the relief of injunction, restraining the respondents 2 to 4 (Tamil Nadu government) from proceeding with Mettur – Sarabanga Lift Irrigation Project without obtaining prior environmental clearance, as this Tribunal has found that since the irrigation command area is less than 2,000 hectares as per amended Notification of 2018, no prior environmental clearance is required," the tribunal said in its order dated April 12, while disposing off the plea.
In the written submission, the Union Environment Ministry said EIA Notification, 2006 was amended in 2018 according to which Mettur-Sarabanga project falls in the category of minor irrigation system with cultivable command area less than 2,000 hectares and such projects were exempted from the requirement of environmental clearance. In its report, the joint committee has also concluded that there was no violation committed.
Admittedly, the project was launched only after the amendment of EIA Notification in the year 2018. "So under such circumstances, the submission made by the counsel appearing for the applicant is unsustainable and the same is rejected," the order reads.
Officials in Public Work Department say that based on the hydrological data of Mettur reservoir, there is surplus water going as unutilised to the sea and thus for the conjunctive use of such surplus water, the government proposed to undertake Mettur-Sarabanga lift irrigation project in Edapadi, Sankari, Mettur and Omalur taluks of Salem. These areas are mainly dependent on rain water for meeting the water needs both for drinking and irrrigation. Further, groundwater table in this region has depleted alarmingly i.e. 300 m below ground level, which resulted in dug wells unusable. Hence, Tamilnadu Government proposed to utilize flood surplus water from Mettur reservoir by pumping and linking with the Sarabanga river minor basin, to feed the existing 100 tanks and ponds and supply channels in Edapadi, Sankari, Mettur and Omalur taluks of Salem for irrigation facilities.