The National Green Tribunal (NGT) judgment on the execution of Kaleshwaram Lift irrigation Project (KLIP) given on Tuesday is not likely to have any impact on the ongoing works pertaining to the project, for which environmental clearance (EC) has been secured already – for lifting of 2 tmcft water a day and water conveyance network.
However, it is likely to impact the works on lifting the third tmcft of water, which were taken up earlier this year, senior engineers of the irrigation department felt following the green tribunal’s verdict on a petition challenging the EC given even to works being executed to lift and convey 2 tmcft of water a day. The NGT has pointed out that clearance for the enhanced capacity of works was not taken and directed the State government to follow the Centre’s directions on it.
“Notwithstanding the time frame, all clearances to the Kaleshwaram project have been secured following due processes and there has been no violation in those processes including impact assessment, holding public hearing, environmental management, payment of compensation and relief and rehabilitation works,” a senior engineer involved in the execution of the project from the beginning said, unwilling to go on record/to be quoted.
He was of the opinion that even the expert committee recommended by the NGT to be constituted by the Environment Ministry could find the scale of relief and rehabilitation works for the people displaced by the project on the ground, irrespective of allegations by some sections that they were not in the scale expected by the affected people.
When contacted, Principal Secretary (Irrigation) Rajat Kumar told The Hindu that they (the State government) “will abide by the NGT judgement completely in the matter of executing Kaleshwaram project, particularly in case of enhanced capacity works”.
According to the irrigation department engineers executing the KLIP, the enhanced capacity of lifting and conveying third tmcft of water would have a network of one balancing reservoir, two pump houses, over 19 km length of pipeline network with 3.6 metre to 4 metre diameter pipes comprising 8 to 10 rows and nearly 14.3 km length of approach and gravity canal.
“Only the approach and gravity canals of the enhanced capacity of the project would require land acquisition and the pipelines would be laid underground without impacting the land use even for cultivation. Head works of the enhanced capacity already have the provision for installation of additional motor-pump sets to lift back water from Medigdda-Annaram-Sundilla Barrages into Yellampally Barrage without requiring any land acquisition or additional power transmission network,” the senior engineer explained.
