Thiruvananthapuram: The 163-MW Athirappilly power project is in a state of hibernation but, as a top KSEB Limited source said, it is “alive”. The state government has time till July 18, 2017, when the environment clearance granted by the MoEF will expire, to evolve a consensus and begin work on the project. “We are aware of the strong popular opposition to the project. We will go ahead only after we allay the apprehension of stakeholders, especially the tribals who would be affected,” the source said. Nearly 10,000 trees in Athirappally and in Pukalappara near the waterfalls had been marked for felling as part of starting work on the power project. However, the state government had not been able to cut down the trees.
The Charpa Range of the Forest Department, too, has been asked to temporarily stop their work on re-demarcating the boundaries of the 138-hectare project site allotted for the project has been temporarily stayed. The Forest Department had also been asked to revise the value of timber within the project area, which was last fixed in 2012. Chalakkudy River Protection Forum, which has filed a writ petition in the High Court questioning the MoEF move to grant EC for the project, has filed a complaint with the Forest Department saying that tribals living in the project area had not been consulted before the new demarcation process was initiated, a stipulation mandated under the Forest Rights Act.
Even without Athirappilly project, the LDF target is to augment the state’s installed capacity by at least 300 MW in three years. This will be achieved mainly by commissioning two medium-scale hydel projects (Pallivasal Extension 60 MW, and Thottiyar 40 MW), a slew of small-scale hydel projects (together contributing 149 MW). The rest will be made up by solar and wind projects.
UDF will no more back Athirappilly
The UDF will strongly oppose any plan to set up the Athirappilly hydel power project, Opposition Leader Ramesh Chennithala has said. “All the UDF constituents would also take a stand against the project,” he said at the front’s meeting to declare its stand on the project at Vazhachal, upstream of Athirappally water falls, on Friday.
Admitting that he and the UDF had earlier favoured the project, he said they had realised its environmental impact after a visit to the tribal settlements of Athirappally forest in June. The Muslim League youth wing had earlier conducted a meeting at Athirappilly against the project. “Several countres are withdrawing from hydel projects and looking for alternative sources of power like solar energy. The climate change was not a major point of debate when the hdel project was first envisaged,” Mr Ramesh said.
