Green nod for Kaleswaram
The Union environment ministry on Monday accorded final clearance for the ongoing Kaleswaram project works.
Chief Minister K. Chandrasekhar Rao thanked the Centre and directed officials to complete all works as scheduled by June. He directed irrigation minister T. Harish Rao and his team of higher engineering officials to visit the project every 10 days and ensure that the works meet the targets. The Centre had earlier given two clearances for forest land and the latest meeting accorded environmental clearance which was significant for proceeding with the works, Mr Rao added.
A high-power committee of the ministry at its recent meeting had recommended final clearance and orders were issued on Monday.
The Centre, along with the clearance, recommended certain guidelines to be followed by the Telangana state government.
Its report said that as the submergence area was very large, micro-climatic change conditions in the project area during the construction/post-construction period had to be reported at regular intervals. Plans for greenbelt development and reservoir rim treatment had to be made in consultation with the state forest department.
Preference had to be given to plant local indigenous species. Solid waste generated, especially plastic, should not be disposed of as landfill material but treated scientifically and recycled.
The environment ministry on Monday accorded final clearance for the ongoing Kaleswaram project works.
Other issues raised in the report included construction work to be carried out after following due procedure of the Right to Fair Compensation and Transparency in Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013.
Oustees should have no grievance of any kind on compensation. Displacement should be taken up only after complete land acquisition, including payment of full compensation.
The Kaleswaram project envisages construction of a barrage across the Godavari near Medigadda village in Karimnagar district for diversion of 180 tmc ft (thousand million cubic feet) water to irrigate 7,38,851 hectares covering Adilabad, Karimnagar, Nizamabad, Warangal, Medak, Nalgonda and Ranga Reddy districts. It was also proposed to stabilise the existing command area of 7,62,028 hectares.
The project proposes providing drinking water to Hyderabad and Secunderabad.
The total land to be acquired would be about 32,000 hectares, of which 2,866 hectares was forestland. The total submergence area was about 13,706 hactares.
Besides the Medigadda barrage, two more would be constructed between Medigadda and Sripada Yellampally at Annaram and Sundilla. The canal system would be 1,832 km long.
The Kaleshwaram project is in the interstate boundary with submergence of 302 hectares in Maharashtra. The project is estimated to cost `80,499.71 crore when it is completed.