Date:14/01/2007 URL: http://www.thehindu.com/2007/01/14/stories/2007011406190400.htm

Karnataka - Bangalore

Hydel project across Kali hits a roadblock

Ravi Sharma

Centre sticks to its decision on run-of-the river scheme

Bangalore: The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has reiterated its June 2006 decision not to accord forest clearance for an 18 MW mini hydel power project across the river Kali, near Dandeli in Uttar Kannada district.

The rejection for the diversion of 57.51 hectares of moist deciduous forest land comes after a report submitted by S. Sankaramurthy, a retired Indian Forest Service officer, who was appointed by the Ministry to study the impact of the mini hydel on the ecology, wildlife and eco tourism, was considered by the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) of the Ministry in its meeting held last October.

First mooted in 2001, and then again in 2003 by Murudeshwar Power Corporation Ltd. (MPCL) the Rs. 180-crore project envisages the construction of a three-metre high weir (five kilometres upstream of Maulingi), impounding water and then directing it through a two kilometre horse shoe shaped tunnel cut into the rock face, to the turbines that will generate power.

But following the MoEF's rejection of the MPCL's proposal in June 2006, the State Department of Forests, Ecology and Environment had urged for a review of the decision, arguing that the mini hydel project was "conceived as a run-of-the-river scheme" and would not submerge any forest land.

The Union Ministry responded by sending Mr. Sankaramurthy to the proposed dam site. Mr. Sankaramurthy visited Dandeli in October 2006 and his report states that "construction of the proposed weir (dam) will lead to conditions that will virtually eliminate river rafting from the scene", besides severely constraining the possibility of "protection of forests around".

Mr. Sankarmurthy's report also disputes the contention of the State's Forest, Ecology and Environment Department that it was a `run-of-the-river' project, observing that the "height of the weir may be at least 6 to 7 metres from the river bed and not 3 metres as made out in the proposal". Based on these facts, Mr. Sankaramurthy recommended that the proposal should be rejected.