VIVEH DESHPANDE THE proposed coal mining project of Adani Power Limited, a subsidiary company of the Adani Group, close to Tadoba-Andhari Tiger Reserve (TATR), is set to face tough questions from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), with Maharashtra's Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF, Wildlife) B Majumdai expressing serious concern about the project's impact on the rich wildlife in the area. Rlso, while underscoring the eco-sensitivity of the area. the MoEF itself has sought a many as 37 different compliances from the company. The 1,750-licctare lease has been granted for coal supply to the company's proposed 1,980 MW power project coming up at Tiroda in Gondia district nearly 200 km from the proposed ML area part of which incidentally falls within the cco-sensitive zone (10 km from boundary) of TATR. Of the leased area, about 7,57; hectares is dense forest inhabited by all kinds of carnivores and herbivores, including tigers and leopards. A storm is already brewing with wildlife activists and environmental NGOs holding a meeting tomorrow at Chandrapur to formulate their joint response to the project. Maneka Gandhi has written to Prime 'Minister and State government, expressing strong reservations about the project. Majumdar wrote to the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), the apex body for all tiger reserves in the country, on Friday that the mining project has the potential to adversely impact the wildlife in the area and may actually invigorate the already deep-set man-animal conflict in the area. Forty-two persons and thousands of cattle have lost their lives in the intense struggle for space between man and tiger and leopards around TATR since the past 35 months. "Some of the ML and the conflict areas are overlapping. So, clearly lives of the animals would be impacted by the project. If they are further cornered, we might see rise in the conflict," Majumdar has said, adding, "detailed, critical study of the impact is of vital importance." The company has got done a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Report on these aspects from Pune-based Envirosearch, which, however, claims that the impact on animals is being assessed and "a comprehensive wildlife conservation plan for Schedule I faunal species is under preparation in consultation with Majumdar". It further says, "as such, there will be no potential adverse impact on wildlife." Majumdar says nobody has yet approached him. About bypassing Majumdar, Jayant Kulkarni of Envirosearch says, "we have prepared the draft plan and have submitted it to the company last week only. The company will submit it to Majumdar and we will try to alter it suitably as per his suggestion. We won't say it will not impact wildlife, but we will try to make up for it in the surrounding forest by aiding the Forest Department with finances and addressing the livelihood concerns of the people in the vicinity so they don't have to resort to wood-cutting etc." TATR Field Director S H Patil says the project will definitely have a detrimental effect on the rich wildlife and increase the man-animal-conflict by cutting off wildlife corridors. Incidentally, about 600 hectares of the project will overlap with part of the proposed buffer zone around TATR. The buffer zone, once it becomes a legal entity, the process for which is currently on, will allow no mining activity within its boundaries. Curiously, come local MLAs are openly opposing creation of buffer zone, unmindful of the fact that buffer zones are being created necessarily around all tiger reserves in the country. Another major issue raised by MoEF is that of overburden dump. "Diversion of dense forest for OB dump is not an ecologically sound option and the proponent may examine acquiring alternative non-mineralised land for it," its letter says. The company, however, says it will spare no effort to address the concerns. "The country needs power and unfortunately coal is in forest areas. So, a way out has to be found," says mining project General Manager Sanjiv Doke. About the OB dump issue, Doke says, "only 25 percent of the area is dense forest, so OB dump will not be entirely on dense forest. And the project will not be feasible since alternative land is available at more than 8 km. We will explain this to the Ministry. And We will make these dump hillocks fully green after some years." Incidentally only one village, Lohara, needs to be shifted and the villagers have agreed to shift to a new place on certain conditions. "We can address their demands," Doke says. Kishore Rithe of Satpuda Foundation, however, says, "we have sent a complaint to the Centre that the public hearing wasn't done as per procedure laid down by the 2006 notification of the amended Wildlife Protection Act. It requires that no politician should be present during it. Here, Chandrapur MP Hansraj Ahir was present. The hearing has to be chaired by the Collector, which didn't happen in this case." The power project will have three units of 660 MW each and the first generation will begin in 2011.