Excelsior Correspondent
SRINAGAR, Aug 13: To ensure supply of safe drinking water to the population living in and around the catchment areas of Kishanganga Power Project, coming up in district Bandipora, a water filtration plant would be installed and commissioned by Oct this year while Rs. 75 crore have been earmarked for environment protection and Rs. 58 crore stands released for Relocation and Rehabilitation (R&R) of effected family.
This information was given to the Environment Committee of Legislative Council, which met under the chairmanship of Dr. Syed Bashir Ahmad Veeri here today.
Legislators, Showkat Hussain Ganai, Syed Mohammad Rafiq Shah, Mohammad Muzaffer Parray, Regional Director, Environment and Remote Sensing, senior officers from NHPC and Revenue Department besides Additional Secretary, Mohammed Maqbool Bhat and Deputy Secretary of the Council Secretariat Ishfaq Ahmad were present on the occasion.
The Committee had a detailed discussion on the environment and allied issues of the under construction 3642.04 crore 330 MW Kishanganga Hydle Electric Project and called upon the authorities of NHPC to maintain ecological balance while implementing the project plan.
It was given out that Rs 1.50 crore are being spent under catchment area treatment programme while Rs. 17 crore have been earmarked for Environment Management Plan. The project is being implemented within the frame work of Indus Water Treaty, it was added.
The Committee raised the issue of containment water supplied to the people living in catchment areas and asked the NHPC to take concrete steps for checking this and ensure discharging treated water in the streams besides supplying through pipes.
The Committee directed Regional Director, Environment and Remote Sensing Department to launch a massive awareness programme about the environment and environmental issues so that common people know about it and effects of climate change. She was directed to involve Universities, educational institution, Panchayat Raj Institutions, concerned NGOs in sensitizing people about the environmental issues.
Stressing for getting Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) conducted by an accredited body, approved by the Union Ministry of Forests, the Committee asked the NHPC and Environment and Remote Sensing Department to look into the matter thoroughly.
The Committee unanimously decided to visit the project site and have on the spot assessment of the environment and allied issues raised by the members during the deliberation.
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