9,621 trees to be axed for Jaypee transmission line

Initially,12,650 forest trees,including thousands of deodars,were proposed to be felled for laying the transmission line,which was later reduced to 9,621. Of these,only 1,260 are deodars.

The issue of felling of forest trees,perhaps the biggest ever,in the case of a single hydel project,was raised by Congress MLA and former Minister G S Bali in the state Assembly on Thursday. He said that since the transmission line for one hydel project will deliver a severe blow to the state’s environment and forest cover,the company be asked to abandon this plan and work on an alternative line to save the forests.

Bali demanded setting-up a high powered committee,including NGOs and other public representatives,to assess the actual number of the trees and explore an alternative transmission route,keeping in view the number of trees involved.

Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumal,who also holds the power portfolio of the state,however rejected Bali’s demand saying that since the Government of India (GoI) has already granted its approval to the transmission line on July 21,2009,nothing can be done at this stage to change the site. Yet,the government will try to verify the actual number of trees to be affected.

“I fully share the concern of the member about the proposed felling of 9,621 forest trees. We did make an effort to suggest an alternative alignment on the opposite side,but the GoI’s permission had already been granted,” he said.

Dhumal,however,informed the House that the state government has drawn up a plan to build up basin-wise common transmission corridors,which could be utilised by all the project promoters in a single basin,instead of allowing separate transmission lines that involves felling of a large number of the trees. The government,for this purpose,has set-up a separate transmission corporation and raised loans from the Asian Development Bank (ADB).

The first biggest private sector project – the Karcham Wangtoo project – coming up on the Satluj river was sanctioned in 1992-93. It remained controversial,with locals strongly opposed to the project – which they feared would affect their natural resources,and wreak havoc on the environment and ecology. Huge land diversions,felling of trees,dumping of debris and digging of tunnels – all remained important questions to be answered.

The company already owns Baspa-II (300 MW) hydel project in the area,which significantly remains the country’s first private sector project allotted to the Jaypee company in 1990-91,which was commissioned in June 2003 at Rs 1624.72 crores.

Last year,a high level committee headed by Avey Shukla Additional Chief secretary (Forests),set up by the state High Court to study adverse affects of the hydro-power projects on the ecology and livelihood of people,had recommended scrapping of some projects in the Satluj and Beas basins – which it claimed,posed a threat to the local ecology.