Nudged by the Delhi High Court and the Central Information Commission, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has finally made public the Gadgil panel report on ecology in the Western Ghats, but with a disclaimer.

The report, which was uploaded on the Ministry’s site on May 23, says: “The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel report has not been formally accepted by the Ministry and that the report is still being analysed and considered by the Ministry.’’

The report was submitted to the Ministry in August 2011. Public comments have been invited within 45 days.

11th plan target could not be met due to environmental problems

The Planning Commission and Power Ministry are believed to have reached a consensus over fixing the capacity addition target at 90,000 MW for the next five years. Earlier, Power Ministry had proposed a target of adding 76,000 MW in the current 12th Five Year Plan (2012-17), keeping fuel constraints in mind. On the other hand Planning Commission wanted the target to be 1,00,000 MW, as the power demand is very high.

Recommending scrapping of two controversial hydro-power projects in Karnataka and Kerala that had run into difficulty due to opposition from environmentalists, the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) has suggested setting up of a statutory authority to protect the Ghats.

The report of the panel, headed by Madhav Gadgil, formerly with the Indian Institute of Sciences, Bangalore, has called for cancellation of Karnataka's Gundia and Kerala's Athirapally hydro-projects, and gradual phasing out of mining activities in ecologically highly-sensitive areas of Goa by 2016.

SIVASAGAR: Continuing its protest against construction of mega dams at the site of Lower Subansiri Hydroelectric Power Project, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS), the Sivasagar district unit led by its district general secretary Raju Gogoi, advisor Lu-chun-Shyam Gohain, publicity secretary Jadumoni Bora and Nari Mukti Sangram Samiti, Sivasagar district president and sister of the peasant leader Akhil Gogoi, Ambika Gogoi Saikia today, led a procession from the Boarding Field here to Sivasagar DC Court, and staged a dharna demanding immediate halt to the construction of the dam.

The Hindustan Construction Company (HCC), is executing a 300 MW Kishanganga power project in Bandipora district of occupied Kashmir, despite a warning by the Centre for Inter-disciplinary Studies of Mountain & Hill Environment (CISMHE), New Delhi, of terrible anti-environmental dangers of the project. A report, prepared by CISMHE on Kishanganga, clearly pointed to the issues like environmental degradation and the impact on water quality of Bandipora.

A leading South Korean Company K-Water will invest in different hydal projects in Pakistan to generate around 3000MW electricity to help in resolving energy crisis. This was disclosed by Chairman Korean Water Resources Corporation known as K-Water Kim Kuen Ho while meeting with Prime Minister Gilani on Wednesday. Chairman Board of Investment Saleem Mandviwala was also present in the meeting. Prime Minister Gilani congratulated K-Water Chairman for forming consortium with other Korean companies for the implementation of various hydro projects in Pakistan.

Water and Power Development Authority (Wapda) and Private Power Infrastructure Board (PPIB) are reportedly scuffling with each other to take execution control of 590MW Mahal hydropower project, jointly established at the boundary of Azad Jammu and Kashmir (AJ&K) and Punjab, well informed sources in PPIB told the Business Recorder. The sources said the controversy on Mahal between PPIB and Wapda was witnessed in the 90th meeting of PPIB Board presided over by the Minister for Water and Power Syed Naveed Qamar.

GUWAHATI: The All Assam Lawyers’ Association has slammed Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi for his statement on Akhil Gogoi’s hunger strike in the city.

The Chief Minister dismissed Akhil’s protest stating that the government was not going to invite him for talks. The Chief Minister stated, “Akhil’s protest had political motives. But we are not going to invite him for talks.” General Secretary of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) Akhil Gogoi, who has been leading the anti-big dam campaign in the State, started his indefinite hunger strike in the city from May 19.

NEW DELHI, May 22 – Assam may be reeling under massive power shortages, but Union Power Minister is still sitting on the proposals to grant long-term coal linkages to Chandrapur and Margherita thermal power plants. Applications seeking long-term coal linkage and Letter of Assurance (LoA) for setting up 60 MW thermal power project at Chandrapur and 500 MW Margherita project were received by the Ministry of Coal and sent to Ministry of Power for recommendations.

Kisan Board Pakistan (KBP) has urged the government to take immediate notice of Indian efforts of buying carbon credits for its seven hydropower projects to be built on Sindh, Chenab and Jhelum rivers.

The Board said that this effort of India is aimed at to give legal cover to its water projects planned on rivers of Pakistan.