You are probably aware of the 2 X 200 MW Gundia Hydro Electric Project, off the Mangalore-Blore highway. This has been in the offing for a number of years, yet the foundation stone was laid a few days ago by the Karnataka CM, amidst considerable controversy. I have seen the proposed location and its upstream areas some years ago and am personally convinced that the project is one that must be avoided, on account of submergence of forest and farm land, displacement of people and enormous destruction of habitat during the construction and damming phases.
To provide it with a veneer of respectability, words such as ‘eco-friendly’ are used generously, when referring to the technology used or, indeed, when referring to hydro power in general. In both cases, nothing could be farther from the truth.
There will be, as you know, considerable pressure to keep the project alive, given that the investment (including overruns that inevitably occur) will reach Rs. 3000 crores.
I understand (from press reports) that the environmental clearance for the project is yet to be received. May I request all of us on this group to write a polite letter to the new Minister of State for Environment and Forests, Mr. Jairam Ramesh, requesting that the clearance be withheld and the project turned down. Unlike his predecessor, he may be more amenable to reason (wishful thinking, at this point, on my part). It is particularly important in your letter, to provide an alternative, ie, request that the focus be on energy conservation, as opposed to the existing unwavering focus on energy generation. |
