Panaji: The Centre’s in-principle Stage-I forest clearance for the Tamnar transmission project is set to face further scrutiny from environmental activists over forest rights, wildlife protection and statutory compliance.
Goa Foundation founder Claude Alvares said the clearance was expected.
“They will have to give because there is a Supreme Court order,” he said, referring to the direction to shift the power lines to the old 1966 alignment to avoid destruction of newer forest patches.
The Goa Foundation had supported the old alignment on the understanding that the proposed 400-KV transmission lines would be elevated above the forest canopy to reduce interference with vegetation and the risk of short circuits.
Alvares, however, said the engineering requirements could create another environmental concern.
“The old one maybe requires more forest land because it’s a 400 KV tower,” he said, adding that there may not be sufficient space even if existing lines are merged. He said the project could affect more than 7,000 trees.
The activist said the status and ownership of land within the Bhagwan Mahavir Wildlife Sanctuary could become a key legal issue during the transition from Stage-I to Stage-II clearance. He said the project proponents would still have to secure the necessary wildlife clearance.
Environmentalist Rajendra Kerkar said activists would first examine the clearance order and its basis before deciding whether to pursue a legal challenge.
He also said Goa’s forests faced cumulative pressure from highway and railway expansion and government-backed ecotourism projects.
“Biologically rich areas that need to be protected for posterity are cleared in the name of development,” said Kerkar.
‘Instead of Gurgaon, bring alignment docus to Goa’
Panaji: Questioning the manner in which public consultation is being conducted for the Tamnar transmission project, activist Claude Alvares has termed the process “nonsense”, while Goa Foundation has sought access to complete project documents in Goa.
In a letter dated August 5 to Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd, Goa Foundation said a public notice published on July 31 followed the realignment of the transmission route pursuant to a Supreme Court order of April 7, 2022.
It said the notice listed affected villages in Goa and Karnataka but did not provide survey numbers or a map of the new alignment.
Alvares also questioned the public consultation process after project authorities sought to make documents available for inspection in Gurgaon.
It was unreasonable to expect people affected by the project to travel nearly 2,000 km to the company’s Gurgaon office to inspect the proposed route and determine whether their properties were affected, Alvares said.
The Foundation said affected persons “cannot be expected” to file objections without access to the relevant documents.
It has sought publication of the transmission route map and all affected survey numbers.
It has also sought a physical file containing all relevant information to be kept at an office in Goa to provide the public with “easy and ready access” to the proposal.
