Date:19/05/2005 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2005/05/19/stories/2005051909840400.htm

Andhra Pradesh

Eco clearance for Pulichintala in sight

Special Correspondent

State team presents its case effectively before the Ministry concerned in Delhi.

HYDERABAD: Pulichintala may not take many more days to get environmental clearance thanks, to a well-argued case presented by the official team at the hearing held in New Delhi on Wednesday by the Union Ministry of Environment (MOE).

After participating in the hearing, the team, led by Suresh Chanda, Irrigation Secretary, was confident that the clearance "is almost at hand." The replies offered were so detailed that Ministry officials were reported to have raised no further points. It may be recalled that the Rs 607-crore project which would store 45.7 tmcft of Krishna waters to benefit the Krishna delta, secured site clearance last week.

The first point highlighted by the team was that Pulichintala would, in no way, affect the ecological balance or the environment. Instead, it would save fauna and flora which was making a tenacious battle for survival beyond Prakasam Barrage and up to the river's confluence with the sea at Hamsaladeevi, the stretch devoid of any inflows now except during floods.

Regulated releases

As per international stipulations, any river will have to ensure minimum flows up to the tail-end for this purpose. By regulated releases, Pulichintala will be able to do this job. Prakasam Barrage failed at this hardly having a 4 tmcft capacity, the Ministry was told.

On the rehabilitation & resettlement, the team furnished detailed plans to resettle the displaced families from the 20 villages in Nalgonda and Guntur districts at new colonies with "all the social infrastructure," including roads, schools and temples. The families had "endorsed" the package finding it far superior to the one suggested by the Centre for States.

The families would get higher compensation for the cultivable lands in line with the policy finalised recently. Four layers have been provided in grievance-reddressal mechanism, with Collectors being empowered to hike the compensation by 50 per cent if the affected party is not satisfied with the rate recommended by the competent committee. If justice is not done at this level the family can tap the State-level panel for 100 per cent hike. It can go to court finally if unhappy even after this, the team stated.

The Conservator of Forests approved de-reservation of 1,170 ha of forest land coming under the project. This was possible, the Ministry was explained, because the Government offered double this extent for afforestation.

The team impressed the Ministry that Pulichintala is a must to advance the season for Krishna delta (13.5 lakha acres) to June. Owing to Alamatti, the delta is getting water only in September. Pulichintala saves Nagarjunsagar waters for Telangana, a backward region, and drastically improves Krishna delta yield by Rs. 808 crores.