GREEN MINUTE NEWS:
People totally rejected the Sharavathi PSP project at a Public Hearing held in Shivamogga district, Karnataka on Tuesday. Calling for cancellation of this meeting, they said the 2000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project is a disastrous project affecting the farmers, fishing community, and people living in this part of Western Ghats. These farmers have been displaced two-three times due to projects on Sharavathi River time and again.
In a show down with the ill-prepared deputy commissioner of Shivamogga, officials of Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB), and Karnataka Power Corporation Ltd (KPCL – the project proponent), people from every field and section of the society, found fault with the EIA, the Sharavathi project itself and said neither the DPR is available nor the area of forest loss for both production and transmission of power to the grid has been made public.
On behalf of all participants, Akhilesh Chipli presented both online and offline petitions to the authorities. Online petitions which numbered more than 16,000 from citizens, farmers, writers, environmentalists, engineers, experts and activists while nearly 1000 offline petitions were handed over to district authorities and KPCL wherein all had petitioned against the PSP.
On their part, the DC of Shivamogga (when questioned by activists and people) said they had no details about the project nor any copy of the DPR of the Sharavathi PSP which enraged the participants in the public meeting. The DC said the meeting cannot be postponed to a later date at any cost despite the demand from most people and participants from the district.
Experts and people called for cancelation of the Public Hearing held in Shivamogga district today as they said it has been a fraud committed in the name of EIA which fails at the most basic level of credibility.
There are glaring omissions in the so-called EIA be it in addressing the critical environment, social and cumulative impact – some are inadequately covered while other issues are totally missing. In fact, the studies done under this – are shocking for the country’s largest PSP based in the evergreen forests of Western Ghats.
It was a full house for the Environmental Public Hearing on Sharavathi PSP at the KPCL Officers’ Recreation Club, Kargal post, Sagar taluk, Shivamogga district at 11 am when agitated citizens, farmers, activists, NGO groups, environmentalists, social activists, people’s representatives came out in large numbers to voice their protest to the catastrophic 2000 MW Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project.
It was very pathetic to see a group of farmers who have been displaced three times due to various hydropower projects on the Sharavathi River the last five decades. For them, the announcement of the Sharavathi PSP has sounded the death knell with the frequent displacements from their homes (see the farmers in the first image).
Speaking to Green Minute, Timmmaya D from Sagar taluk said, “How many times should we displaced again and again and lose our homes and hearth? What sins have we committed to suffer from the decisions taken by successive governments? We don’t want this project. and do not want to be displaced again for the third time. My grandparents were displaced for the first time, my parents for the second time and now it is my turn. We are about 100 families residing in four villages like Heni, Marathi keri, and others who are likely to be displaced and we have only hakku pathra with us and I don’t what will happen to us. We have given a representation to the DC.”
Calling for cancelation of the meeting former MLA (BJP member) Hartala Halappa said, “The EIA itself is improper and illegal as no proper studies have been done and when it is done properly, it should be made available in Kannada so that local people and affected farmers can understand the consequences of this project.”
He further expressed his concern about the lack of any information on the Sharavathi Pumped Storage Project and said many farmers are being displaced again and again and there is no clarity how the power generated will be evacuated to the grid and what will be the loss of forest and tree cover due to this.”
Opposing the Sharavathi PSP, former chairman, Western Ghats Task Force Anant Hegde Ashisara from Uttar Kannada and Akhilesh Chipli, Environmentalist from Shivamogga spoke on the adverse impact of this proposed project on environment, ecology, hydrology and wildlife. The project proponent has already destroyed 18,000 acres of forestland and with this PSP proposal, there would be irreparable loss of forest and flagship species like the LTM found in the Western Ghats.
G Veeresh, wildlife conservationist from Chikkamagaluru criticizing the authorities for holding the public meeting in a hurried manner which has neither received any wildlife, forest or environmental clearances said, “How can a public consultation be held when all details are hidden from the public domain. When the authorities do not have details to share on the project, why is the meeting being held? Even the so-called EIA being done is a complete fraud and which is available only in English and not in Kannada. How can the local people understand the details about this horrendous and ecologically harmful project.”
Environmental groups from Bengaluru – Vijay Nishant, urban conservationist, Project Vruksha Foundation, Joseph Hoover from United Conservation Movement and Charles Dsouza from Dakshin Kannada and other activists took part in the Public Hearing at Kargal. Maruthi Guruji of Gerusoppa also expressed his support for Save Sharavathi campaign and said he was not in favor of a project which causes large scale destruction.
Vijay Nishanth added, “We don’t want this project by destroying our precious forests and decimation of wildlife. If we have to survive, Western Ghats needs every kind of protection and it is already fragmented due to hydropower, hydel and linear structures and we have come here personally to express our solidarity and our opposition to this eco-disastrous project. This is not progress but inviting disaster in our backyard.”
Joseph Hoover also participated and voiced his opposition to the Sharavathi PSP. Voicing his opposition against the Sharavathi PSP, he said, “Something is seriously wrong with senior forest officers of KFD as they have agreed to give core area of the Sharavathi Valley LTM Sanctuary for power generation. Further, for compensatory afforestation, the learned officers have recommended “shola forest” inside a tiger reserve.”
More than 500 people came to the meeting from Sagar and other taluks from Shivamogga, Uttar Kannada, Chikkamagaluru and Bengaluru districts and submitted their memorandum to the authorities.
All participants called for the rejection of the Sharavathi PSP. In fact, more than 15,688 people have signed the ongoing petition on change.org calling for rejection of EIA and saving the Sharavathi Valley LTM Sanctuary. Another online petition for Saving Sharavathi which is home to many historical monuments, bastis, temples under the ASI that was built during the time of the famous Pepper Queen Chennabhairadevi of Gerusoppa under the Vijaynagara empire. This has garnered nearly 700 signatures and protection to the ASI monuments.
The next Environmental Public Hearing Meeting will be held on September 18th at Uppinangadi, Gerusoppa in Uttar Kannada district.