Panaji: The ‘Save Mollem Citizens’ Group’ ( SMCG) has stressed the need for a deeper study and scrutiny of the proposed power transmission line project which is expected to run through the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary and Mollem National Park.
In a media release issued in the city on Wednesday, the citizens’ group reacted sharply to the political statements being made in the media in the last one week, which claim that the number of trees to be felled by the proposed, power transmission line running through the two forest regions will be much lower than projected estimates.
Film maker and wildlife conservationist, Omkar Dharwadkar questions “One recent statement made by Chief Minister Pramod Sawant where he mentions that less than 3000 trees would be felled for the tamnar line, trees will only be felled where the six poles will be erected in the protected area. How will all the machinery and equipment be taken to these locations of which many are only accessible by foot?”
The SMCG said, “Few months ago on the 18th June, 2020, a letter to the Central Empowered Committee of Supreme Court by 150 scientists and allied practitioners had stated, “If an Environment Impact assessment (EIA) report has been submitted, it is not accessible in public domain and members of the State Wildlife Advisory Board were not given an EIA to scrutinise for both projects (road and transmission line) before the meeting. The decision taken by the members therefore, cannot be said to be an informed decision”
According to the SMCG, a few weeks ago on the 21st of September, 2020 scientists wrote again to the Regional Office of the Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change (MoEFF&CC), Bengaluru to “urge the Empowered Committee to conduct a site-inspection and mandate a cumulative impact assessment study.” They pointed to a five forest diversion proposal for one single project involving diversion of forest land in Goa and Karnataka.
Lawyer Prerna Venkatesh said that, “Any change in numbers claimed by Goa Tamnar means change in the scope of the project. Any change in numbers or scope of the project would also mean that the user agencies have to start the forest clearance process afresh.”
On the 21st of October, 2020, Goa’s power and environment minister Nilesh Cabral released a white-paper on Goa’s power consumption. Two years ago (23rd October 2018), Cabral had stated that he would release a white-paper within 45 days on the electricity department, briefly alluding to Public-Private Partnerships and gradual power hike in tariff. On 16th January 2019, Cabral was quoted in the media stating that the Electricity Department was defunct and he could not release a white paper.
“There has to be more transparency when it comes to projects supposedly in public domain. Why is Mr. Cabral withholding information with regards to the transmission line? He promised to provide documents affiliated to the transmission line on his department website but it is still not in the public domain. We need to have access to this white paper so as stakeholders we also get to decide if this is truly for public benefit” Says conservationist Gabriella D’cruz.
Earlier this year, students in Goa had asked their MLAs to table questions in the state assembly about why the government was in a hurry to collaborate with Goa Tamnar, a Special Purpose Vehicle of Sterlite Power when this transmission line project was passed with no due process during the lockdown (7th of April, 2020).
The students had also highlighted Sterlite’s track record at the Tuticorin plant where police had shot dead 13 people from the fishing community who were opposing a copper plant