Green Tribunal forms panel to examine Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Scheme execution by Telangana

VIJAYAWADA: The south zonal bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has constituted a committee to examine if Telangana is executing the Palamuru- Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) project in compliance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification and other extant laws which mandate prior environmental clearance (EC). The NGT ordered the constitution of the committee following the petition filed by D Chandramouleswara Reddy, a farmer from Kadapa, along with other farmers from Rayalaseema, Prakasam, Guntur and Krishna districts against the project.

According to information, the south zonal bench of the NGT, headed by judicial member Justice K Ramakrishnan and expert member K Satyagopal, Thursday heard for admission the petition filed by Andhra Pradesh farmers last week. In their petition, the farmers alleged that the Telangana government was taking up the Palamuru-Rangareddy project without necessary clearances. The counsel appearing on behalf of the petitioner PS Raman informed the bench that the neighbouring State government was proceeding with the construction of the irrigation project despite earlier undertakings that the same would be limited to only supply of drinking water until the EC is obtained.

The farmers, in the petition, informed the bench that the said project neither had any allocation under Krishna Water Dispute Tribunal I and II nor was recorded in the schedule XI of AP Reorganisation Act, 2014. Though the Union Ministry of Jal Shakti, in the apex council meeting, clarified that the project was a new one and that it was not appraised by Krishna River Management Board (KRMB) or other authorities concerned, the farmers alleged that the State of Telangana was going ahead with the project claiming that it would restrict itself to the allocation made under KWDT-II.

They further claimed that the project would affect the interests of farmers irrigating under Srisailam Right Bank Canal, KC Canal, Nagarjuna Sagar and Krishna Delta. They added that Palamuru- Rangareddy LIS aims to lift 90 TMC of floodwater even though there were no studies done on the availability of the quantum of surplus water. They also alleged that the pump house was being constructed in an environmentally sensitive area and hence needs intervention.

The tribunal constituted a committee and posted the matter for further hearing on August 29. It may be recalled that the bench has recently constituted a joint committee to ascertain if there were any violations of environmental laws and if there were any violations of the Terms of Reference issued when they applied for environment clearance, which was later withdrawn.