Eco group against clearance to Luhri power project: The Tribune

Rakesh Lohumi

Tribune News Service Shimla, May 10

Expressing dismay over the “helpless” attitude of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley Projects in carrying out its mandate, Him Dhara, an environment research and action group, has urged it not to recommend the case of the 775 MW Luhri project for environmental clearance in view of its huge fallout on “riverine ecology”. In a representation to the chairperson of the EAC, it expressed shock over the fact that after accepting that the project would lead to the disappearance of 50 km of the last stretch of the free-flowing Sutlej, the committee made light of the matter by suggesting mitigation measures like reducing the height of the dam or the length of the tunnel. By stating that “the only remedy now available is to consider mitigating measures”, the committee had undermined its own mandate, directly implying that it was under pressure to recommend environmental clearance for the project. It was the responsibility of the EAC to make its recommendations once all documents, including the environment impact assessment (EIA) report, were placed before it. However, the tone of “helplessness” was seriously hampering its functioning and undermining its mandate. Enlisting grounds for the denial of environmental clearance, it pointed out that in the projects on the Sutlej , the Luhri project would have the longest twin tunnels and its impact must take into account the cumulative impact of all 30-odd small and big projects planned on the basin.

These project would together completely alter the “riverine ecology”, the climatic conditions and the landscape of the valley irreversibly. In short, the Luhri project would be the final nail in the coffin of the river. The EIA report of the project was inadequate and incomplete as it overlooked the impacts of the tunnel and transmission lines and the ecological and social implications of many of the project components. No environmental clearance to projects on the river basin must be recommended until and unless there was an independent cumulative impact assessment (CIA) study by a credible multi-disciplinary committee. The CIA study had been awarded to the ICFRE, which was unacceptable as there was a direct conflict of interest. Besides, it had a poor track record in respect of the study carried out for the Renuka project in which contradictions in basic facts in the EIA forced the National Green Tribunal to stay the project. It lamented that the EAC ignored three submissions, including the comprehensive report entitled, “A river under arrest”, and urged it to peruse these documents and consider the issues raised. There was also no mention of the representations made by the Sutlej Bachao Jan Sangharsh Samiti, formed by the people to be affected by the project. The samiti had been opposing the project on several grounds, the most serious being the impact of the 38-km-long twin tunnels, which had not even been included in the EIA report.

URL http://www.tribuneindia.com/2012/20120511/himachal.htm#2