The Indian Express: New
Delhi: Wednesday, August 29, 2018.
A day after he took
charge as Power Minister on September 5 last year, RK Singh was told by
officials at a meeting that 35 hydro projects are stuck for the lack of green
clearances. It was suggested that a list of the issues ailing these projects
and the dates of pendency should be submitted to Singh so that he can take the
issue up with the environment ministry. As on August 10, over 11 months since
that decision, no such list has been submitted.
Also, at the meeting,
Singh was told that cases have been filed against some hydro projects at the
National Green Tribunal (NGT). The minister is learnt to have asked for a list
and status of these cases. This too hasn’t been submitted till August 10.
Singh did not respond
to specific queries sent by The Indian Express on the issue.
The minutes of the
meeting stated: “Minister directed to submit the list and status of all cases
pending with NGT.” The power ministry, in an RTI response dated August 10, said:
“… so far, no such list of the pending cases of the hydro projects with NGT has
been submitted to minister.” The case regarding the 2000-MW Subansiri Lower
project in Arunachal Pradesh, planned 15 years earlier, has been stayed by the
NGT.
The minutes also
stated: “On the issues of delay in FC (forest clearance)/EC (environment
clearance) clearances, it was suggested that list of all MOEF&CC (Ministry
of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) issues, along with the date of
pendency, should be submitted to minister for taking up with the MOEF&CC.”
In another RTI response dated August 10, the power ministry said: “…so far, no
such list of the MOEF&CC issues has been submitted…”
In a report dated March
7, the Parliamentary panel on Energy stated: “The Committee…has found that
hydro power projects get delayed due to various reasons, which causes cost
overrun and ultimately results in increased tariff. The main reason… is
obtaining of environmental clearances, which was cited as the biggest road
block…”
To bring clarity on the
issue, the Committee heard the views of the environment ministry. The Committee
report stated: “It was stated (by environment ministry) that since the
notification of EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) in 2006, environmental
clearances have already been accorded to numerous hydro power projects.
However, in a majority of cases, construction work is yet to be started.
Further, out of the assessed hydro power capacity of 45,000 MW in Arunachal
Pradesh, only 405 MW capacity is operational and 2,710 MW capacity is under
construction. In case of 8,500 MW capacity projects which have all the
clearances, the development work has not started yet.”
Listing environment
ministry’s stand on various issues of hydro sector, the report stated: “In regard
to pendency of hydro projects before MoEF&CC for clearance, it was stated
that out of 45,000 MW, projects of 6,600 MW only are pending with them. They
further stated that they have started to undertake study of various river
basins. The outcome of these studies will commonly be applied to all the
projects in that basin for the purpose of environmental flow, litigation
related to disaster and biodiversity. In regard to hydro power development in
the Himalayan region, they stated that certain pockets and areas above 3,000
meter are not being touched in view of the risk of damages to environment.”
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