Daijiworld Media Network – Bantwal (SP)
Bantwal, Mar 4: The state High Court (HC) issued an order on Tuesday, to form a high level committee to go into the ill-affects of two mini hydel power projects coming up at Shambhoor in Narikombu village and also Perla. These projects propose to use water from River Netravati. This order was issued by a division bench of the HC comprising Chief Justice, J S Khehar, and Justice, A S Bopapanna, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by the Project Affected People’s welfare Committee, which questions the setting up of two mini hydel projects at Shamboor and Perla. Both the projects are of 24 mw each.
The main contention of the petitioners is that the company had not provided exhaustive report on the area that will get submerged because of the projects and other details before beginning works. The petitioners have also said that the execution of two similar projects together poses risk of inundating several villages around these two projects. They have questioned the correctness of the decision to entrust these two projects to M M R Power Ltd and Ritwik Energy Generation Pvt Ltd, respectively. They have also been contending that because of the projects, a number of environmental and agriculture-related problems and also those relating to aquatic animals have arisen.
Through the said order, the HC has instructed the central government to form a high level committee with a minimum of three members, which is to be headed by the chairperson of the National Hydro Electric Power Corporation. It also stipulated that the committee should conduct spot inspection of the project sites, and submit its comprehensive report covering all aspects to the HC within four months. The litigants have been asked to bear the expenses connected with the formation and functioning of the committee.
The petitioners have specifically stated that natural flow of River Netravati gets stranded when crest gates of the projects are shut, and as a result, aquatic animals belonging to rare breeds die due to lack of fresh water. It is also contended that while water level in Shambhoor goes up, the river flow gets dried up in Navoor area.