Nagpur: The Channaka-Korta barrage, an inter-state irrigation project between Telangana and Maharashtra being constructed on Painganga River, is a classic case of how environment rules are tossed to the wind. With 50% work on the project completed, shockingly, no environment impact assessment (EIA) has been done by the Telangana irrigation department. As per the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, EIA is mandatory. Environment ministry’s notification of 2006 and 2009 says, “purpose of EIA is to identify and evaluate the potential impacts (beneficial & adverse) of projects on the environmental system.” “EIA is an useful aid for decision-making based on understanding of the environment implications, including social, cultural and aesthetic concerns which could be integrated with the analysis of the project costs and benefits,” says EIA analyst Pushp Jain, Delhi. Jain adds this exercise should be undertaken early enough in the planning stage for selection of environmentally compatible sites, process technologies and such other environmental safeguards. Sources said the fact that the project was implemented without an EIA came to light when a three-member team of officials and a NGO from Pandharkawda visited the barrage site at Channaka two days ago. On the contrary, superintending engineer Mohammed Amjad Hussain said, “As per EIA norms, we took a public hearing at Pimpalkhuti on Thursday. This was the first public hearing since commencement of the construction work in April 2016. No public hearing has been held on Maharashtra side.” Hussain adds though EIA was not done before starting the work, currently the project is being expedited for drinking water purpose only. Of the total cost of Rs400 crore, Rs235 crore have been spent till now. On why EIA was not done, executive engineer K Ravinder says, “As the project will benefit land under 25,000 hectares, there was no need of EIA. Only mechanical work is being done and not civil works. Still many works like canals are remaining.” However, Yavatmal honorary wildlife warden Ramzan Virani said, “MoEFCC had granted permission for pre-construction activities with certain conditions. It says that construction can only be done after EIA. Hence, the work that has been done is illegal.” A formal inter-state agreement between two chief ministers Devendra Fadnavis and K Chandrasekhar Rao was signed in August 2016. The barrage work has been put on fast-track and January 2019 has been set as the deadline to complete the project. Even as EIA was not done, the project, which falls within 3.5km from the boundary of Tipeshwar Wildlife Sanctuary and is in the eco-sensitive zone (ESZ), was approved by the state wildlife board (SWBL) headed by chief minister Devendra Fadnavis. When asked, AK Misra, PCCF (wildlife) & member-secretary of SWBL, said, “EIA is not in the purview of wildlife board. The project was approved subject to conditions and a panel has also been constituted to suggest wildlife mitigation measures.” Misra added the project was approved with the condition that user agency would deposit 2% of the project cost with Pench Tiger Conservation Foundation for habitat development, protection and conservation of wildlife in Tipeshwar.