Kaleshwaram project under NGT scanner

Excellent study material for all civil services aspirants - begin learning - Kar ke dikhayenge!

  Kaleshwaram project under NGT scanner

---

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

---

1. The story: The much discussed Kaleshwaram project is now under the scanner of National Green Tribunal (NGT), which wants a relook.
2. Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project: The project is considered one of the world’s largest multi-purpose projects, and is designed to provide water for irrigation and drinking purposes to about 45 lakh acres in 20 of the 31 districts in Telangana. It will supply drinking water to several towns and villages and also to twin cities of Hyderabad and Secunderabad, and provide water for Hyderabad and Secunderabad. The cost of the project is Rs.80,000 crore, but is expected to rise to Rs 1 lakh crore by the time it is completely constructed.
3. Details of project: It is unique as Telangana will harness water at the confluence of two rivers with Godavari by constructing a barrage at Medigadda. The water will be reverse pumped into the main Godavari River. From here, it will be diverted through lifts and pumps into a huge and complex system of reservoirs, water tunnels, pipelines and canals. The project has set many records with the world’s longest water tunnels, aqueducts, underground surge pools, and biggest pumps. The total length of the entire project is approximately 1,832 km, of which nearly 1,531 km is gravity canals and 203 km comprise water tunnels. It involves digging of 20 reservoirs with total capacity to store 145 TMC. Except for a few stretches involving pipelines and canals, much of the project is complete.
4. Importance to Telangana: The Kaleshwaram project will transform Telangana into an agricultural powerhouse, enabling farmers to reap multiple crops with a year-round supply of water. Mission Bhagiratha is a project to supply drinking water to every household in villages. This mission draws a large quantity of water from the KLIS and some quantity from projects on River Krishna.
5. NGT recent order: The Principal Bench of the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, ruled that the Environmental Clearance given to the project in 2017 was void. It ruled so, saying that the Telangana government changed the design of the project to increase its capacity to pump from 2 TMC to 3 TMC water. The NGT observed that major changes were made in the project, due to which large tracts of forest land and other land was taken over. Massive infrastructure was built causing adverse environmental impact.
6. Government's response: It argued that the expansion of the project to extract 3 TMC did not involve any infrastructural changes and so a fresh EC was not required. This argument was not accepted by the NGT.
7. NGT response: It said that extraction of more water requires more storage capacity, and affects hydrology and riverine ecology of Godavari River. Such issues may have to be examined by the statutory authorities concerned. The NGT said that it is difficult to accept the plea that enhancement of capacity by one third will not require any infrastructural changes. It ordered that, in any case, this aspect needs to be evaluated by the statutory expert Committees before the expansion is undertaken.
8. Minsitry's stance: The NGT directed the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to constitute an Expert Committee. This Committee would assess the extent of damage caused in going ahead with the project’s expansion and to identify restoration measures. The Expert Committee will complete its exercise within six months.
9. What next: The NGT directed the Telangana Government to stop all work except the drinking water component. It wants the government to obtain a Forest Clearance from the Centre before going ahead with the project. The Irrigation Secretary said the state government will abide by the NGT directions and obtain the necessary clearances. To enhance the capacity from 2 TMC to 3 TMC not very big changes are required. To store the additional 1 TMC, land for a reservoir has already been acquired while pipelines and canals are already in the works.

Read more on - Polity | Economy | Schemes | S&T | Environment

Join UPSC Self Prep course | Online Course (PT Gurukul)  | Covid Special Course | Join PT courses

* Content sourced from free internet sources (publications, PIB site, international sites, etc.). Take your own subscriptions. Copyrights acknowledged.