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Telangana firm on completing Kaleshwaram in time
Aiming to complete the ambitious Kaleshwaram project before 2018 deadline, the Telangana government hastened official procedures to seek stage-II environmental clearance from the Centre for the project. The Irrigation department has already submitted a report on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
Hyderabad: Aiming to complete the ambitious Kaleshwaram project before 2018 deadline, the Telangana government hastened official procedures to seek stage-II environmental clearance from the Centre for the project. The Irrigation department has already submitted a report on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plan (EMP) to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.
The report has been prepared by EPTRI (Environment Protection Training and Engineering Institute). The stage-II environmental clearance is crucial to completing the project without any objections from the Centre. “No major environmental concerns are found in the proposed Kaleshwaram project, comprising barrages at Medigadda, Annaram and Sundilla in the study conducted by the EPTRI,” a senior irrigation official told The Hans India.
The impact of the project on the sanctuaries, archeological structures, wildlife and endangered species has been studied in detail all through the project site. Since the project and the barrages are being constructed all along river Godavari, no major habitation (either human or wildlife) is likely to be affected by the project in the wildlife zone under the project, particularly in Adilabad district.
The issue of submergence of areas, including about 20 reservoirs such as Mallannasagar, Baswapuram, Kondapochamma, Gandimalla , Anantagiri and Mambad, was also studied in detail. Relief and Rehabilitation of the displaced and the conservation of flora and fauna has also been taken into consideration and the necessary steps would be taken, the official said.
The Union ministry accorded the stage-I environmental clearance to the project two months ago. Based on the EIA and EMP study report, the ministry would conduct the final survey and accord environment-related clearances. The details of the public hearing on the land acquisition was also included in the report. So far, 70,000 acres of land was acquired, and the remaining required 25,000 acres would be procured for the construction of the reservoirs.
The project has already secured stage-I and stage-II forest clearances. The state government has also deposited Rs 723 crore with the Union ministry to take up compensatory afforestation in lieu of the lands denotified for the project, the official said, adding: "Forest lands would be used for the construction of tunnels, house pumps, surge pools, reservoirs and delivery cisterns under the Kaleshwaram project. The project also secured permissions like hydrology, Central Ground Water Authority, Construction Machinery Consultancy and Inter-state clearances mandatory for the construction of the multipurpose project."
