CB BureauThe statutory Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) took
just one day to clear several projects that it had rejected earlier for falling
foul of green regulations or being too damaging to the environment.
The
cleared projects included a water supply project on Kalu River in Thane,
Maharashtra, which was rejected earlier not just on environment grounds, but also because the
project developer had been booked for beginning construction illegally. The
project, which is expected to provide 1,140 million litres of water daily,
will require cutting down 148,000 trees within seven kilometres of a wildlife
sanctuary. The project also violates tribal rights under the Forest Rights Act.
The
project was cleared by the FAC after the chief minister had specifically asked the
committee to revise its opinion. While noting that the Kasturirangan Western
Ghats report was still under the government’s review, it cleared the dam,
suggesting that the project would follow whatever conditions the government lay
down later.
Moserbaer’s 400mw Seli hydropower
project in Lahaul and Spiti, Himachal Pradesh, has also been cleared by the FAC. The same committee had earlier held back clearance, awaiting a
cumulative impact assessment on the Chenab with 11 dams planned on the river.
But to fast-track the process of clearance, it diluted the requirement to ask
for an interim report. The area where the project will come up is a habitat of
the elusive snow leopard, and the government panel has recommended a field
visit by one of its members. The clearance to the project, however, has been
granted.
The FAC has also allowed mining in
2,000 hectares in Hasdeo Arand, Chhattisgarh, one of the densest forests of
central India. In 2010, the same committee had banned mining in the rich
forests with the environment ministry declaring the region a no-go zone.
Stating that despite the environment ministry’s rejection, the group of ministers
on coal projects had pushed for early clearance of the project, the FAC said it ‘would ordinarily not like to
recommend mining in such a good quality and biodiversity-rich forest. However,
the environment ministry may take a decision on the recommendation of the group of
ministers.’