Project to help in tapping potential within IWT parameters
Mohinder Verma
JAMMU, Nov 11: In order to expeditiously grant environment clearance and pave the way for start of work, a committee of experts constituted by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) is shortly going to inspect the site of 800 Mega Watts Bursar Hydro-Electric Project to be constructed on Marusudar River, a tributary of River Chenab in Kishtwar district.
This project would go a long way in making use of untapped water potential for the benefit of Jammu and Kashmir that too within the parameters of the Indus Water Treaty (IWT) signed between India and Pakistan.
Moreover, the Bursar project will also allow the regulation of the flow of water in River Chenab and thus benefit itself as well as all other downstream projects by enhancing their potential.
Official sources told EXCELSIOR that Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests in its recent meeting held detailed deliberations on the final Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Management Plan (EMP) submitted by the project proponent and finally decided to get the site of the project inspected through its sub-committee comprising of experts of different fields.
A five member team has been selected for site inspection anytime during the current month and on the receipt of report of the team the Expert Appraisal Committee will grant environment clearance to the project without which work cannot be started, sources informed.
The EAC has expressed satisfaction over the final EIA/EMP submitted by the project proponent by incorporating the issues raised during the public hearings held near village Tiller in Marwah tehsil on September 21, 2017 and near village Lopara in Dachhan tehsil of Kishtwar on September 23, 2017.
“Various environmental aspects covering catchment area, submergence area and project influence area have been considered by the project proponent and the baseline data has been collected covering physico-chemical aspects, biological aspects and so-economic aspects”, the EAC has observed, adding “even the impacts during construction and operation phases have been rightly assessed and mitigation measures suggested for minimizing the anticipated impacts”.
Contrary to the hue and cry being raised by certain politicians on unfounded ground, the EAC has observed that only seven villages with 18 hamlets consisting of 1052 families are likely to be affected due to this project. Of these 1052 families, 336 would get affected fully and 716 partially and a provision of Rs 211 crore has been earmarked for Relief and Rehabilitation (R&R) and Local Area Development, which would be more than sufficient.
According to the sources, the Relief and Rehabilitation Plan for the project affected families will be followed as per the Kishanganga Hydroelectric Project R&R Plan and will be implemented accordingly. “The downstream population would be less impacted as people are not dependent on Marusudar River for drinking water and irrigation purposes”, they added.
It is pertinent to mention here that the total estimated cost of project is about Rs 24,589 crore as per the price level of October 2016 and the project will be completed in 163 months, which includes pre-construction period of 36 months for infrastructural works. One dam-toe power house will be at village Pakal with 120 Mega Watt capacity to maintain environmental flow and another surface power house will come up at village Lopara with 4 units of 170 Mega Watts installed capacity each.
“The Bursar Project is the storage dam scheme permitted under Indus Water Treaty and is the first such project with storage capacity of 0.5 MAF in Chenab Basin and has already been declared as National Project and is under Prime Minister’s Reconstruction Plan for J&K”, sources said.
They further said, “there was no focus on this project for many years despite its immense importance but the present Government at Centre following Uri attack started paying required attention so that available water potential is tapped that too within the parameters of Indus Water Treaty”, adding “in the absence of Bursar Project Pakistan is deriving huge benefit of Chenab water”.
The EAC has also directed the project proponent to obtain fresh forest clearance in respect of 1,149 hectares of forestland as per the prevailing norms of Government of Jammu and Kashmir.
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