Wilted concerns
A NEW plan of action has been drawn up by the recently reconstituted environmental evaluation committee (EEC) on river valley and hydroelectric projects, under the Union ministry of environment and forests (MEF). The committee, which met on January 24, was headed by Anna Malhotra, dnd its agenda was a complete reversal of action plan charted out by the earlier EEC.
The earlier EEC, led by B J Vasoya, had decided not to consider any more dams for clearance from states which were found to have repeatedly violated the environmental conditions laid down for the already existing prqjects, until they complied with the norms.
Deriding the new m1ye, Ashish Kothari, former member, EEC, said, "This act can only be called a retrograde step, and is likely to send signals to state governments that environmental conditions are not to be taken seriously."
The Vasoya committee had, for the first time in 1995, taken stock of all the dams cleared by the ministry in the last. 15 years. It revealed that nearly 90 per cent of the dams,- about 200 out of the 300 projects cleared - hadnot fulfilled the environmental conditions.
These conditions included compensatory afforestation for loss of forests due to submergence, rehabilitation of displaced people, treatibent of catchment areas, mitigatory measures for affected wildlife and the like.
But in Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Kerala, none of the 84 completed or ongoing projects had fully complied with given conditions, said the Vasoya committee findings.
"What all this amounted to was a scandal of epic proportions, since it meant that nearly 90 per cent of the dams in India had been built or were being, built in violation of the government"s own stipulation," said Kothari.
In April-May 1995, exEF Minister Kamal Nath and environment secretary N R Krishnan were appraised of the situation. Even the present EF minister Rajesh Pilot has been appraised of the facts. But so far, the erring states have not been brought to book.
However, the new EEC proposed, to prevent further violation, measures like withholding, funds for projects partially funded by the Centre be initiated.
"If we are too strict they would just ignore us. Therefore, we have 1 not taken up issues from the past and decided to start afresli with the realisation that some projects have to be cleared," pointed out an EEC member.
| Making rights of wrongs The previous EEC had listed the following examples of violations on part of these projects: | |
| Name of the project | Type of norm violation |
| Telegu Ganga Project (Andhra Pradesh) | Poor resettlement and command area development; change of construction parameters without refering back to the MEF |
| Chamera hydroeletricity Project (Himachal Pradesh) | Dumping of four million cubic metre of construction wastes into the Ravi river; refusal to answer the MEF"s queries regarding the same |
| Sharavathi Tail Race Project (Karnataka) | Ignoring several conditions, including building a fish ladder (for migratory fish), securing a corridor for elephants and ensuring the "nistar" rights of the local people |
| North Koel and Subarnarekha projects (Bihar) | Very poor resettlement |
| Man Project (Madhya Pradesh) | Reduction of the resettlement package by project authorities after obtaining clearance |