Hyderabad: The TS government has informed the National Green Tribunal that it will not use forest land to lay the pipelines to supply drinking water from the Kaleswaram project.
Former attorney general Mukul Rohatgi, appearing for the TS government, told the two-member NGT bench headed Justice Jawad Rahim that Kaleswaram was a drinking water project, and was not meant for irrigation.
He said that in future if the project did not secure environmental clearances, the water in the dam will be used for drinking purposes, and will also be supplied to neighboring states.
The bench was hearing a petition by one Hayathuddin challenging the action of the state government in constructing the Kaleswaram project without environmental clearances.
Mr Sanjay Upadhya, counsel for the petitioner, told the bench that the government was claiming that the project was meant for drinking water by showing the pipelines laid under Mission Bhagiratha.
He said 3,000 acres of forest had been used for construction of the project. He urged the bench to stay all further construction as there were no clearances from the ministry of environment and forest for the project.
The bench asked Mr Rohatgi about the use of forests. Mr Rohatgi said an affidavit would be filed with regard to the allegation. The bench adjourned the case to October 3.
Centre lets state use 258 hectare forests
The Union forest ministry has cleared the diversion of 258 hectares of forest for a lift scheme under Kaleswaram project.
This will benefit 14 minor irrigation tanks in Bhupalapally district. The project is meant to lift 4.5 tmc ft water from the Godavari river to fill irrigation tanks in Mahadevapur mandal to irrigate 18,211 hactares. The clearance was required to lay pipelines through the forest. Since it does not submerge land, rehabilitation and resettlement is required.
In a statement, irrigation minister T. Harish Rao thanked Union minister Dr Harsh Vardhan for according the approval and said the work would be complete by June 2018.
