A recently proposed environmental evaluation smacks of evasive tactics
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 |
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