Will Athirappilly waterfall be saved?

In fact, most of the river less than 5 km upstream from the proposed Athirappilly project site lies captured and still in the water reservoirs created by other existing dams.


Will they, won’t they? As I leave behind the last of the free flowing Chalakudy in the Vazhachal forests of the Western Ghats in Kerala, I bring with me a strange anxiety. The 20-odd lion-tailed macaques that I encountered magically, have no clue that fate of the tree crowns they hold on to, hangs in the corridors of power in New Delhi.

In January, the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) issued a show-cause notice to the Kerala state electricity board (KSEB). KSEB was asked to justify as to why the 2007 environmental clearance issued under a central law by the MoEF itself, should not be revoked.

MoEF’s grounds were that they had come to know that the construction of the 163 mw Athirappilly hydroelectric project would impact the primitive Kadar tribe residing in the project area. Moreover, the valuable biodiversity of the area will also be threatened. While I welcome this decision, I wonder why this logic didn’t wash while granting the clearance in the first place.

But what’s critical to understand is that there is a decade old history of a multi-dimensional struggle against the Athirappilly project. The dam is proposed to be constructed over a river whose basin has been already dammed for electricity or irrigation six times upstream in its catchment. Five of these projects are located in Kerala and one in Tamil Nadu.

The effects
While the forest streams struggle to retain their perennial nature, the loss of most of the evergreen and riparian forests is not helping the case. As a result, the Vazhachal area and the highly popular Athirappilly waterfalls downstream in the Chalakudy river basin remain the relatively untouched stretch where one can find river rapids and fast flows. This is what is going to be impacted the maximum if the dam construction becomes a reality.

In fact, most of the river less than 5 km upstream from the proposed Athirappilly project site lies captured and still in the water reservoirs created by other existing dams. At other place, water flows through metal pipes to power houses of existing projects. Where one does find a rapid flow, it is not natural but induced by the release of water from the dam sites located upstream of the river.

It is for this reason that the Kadar tribes, non tribals communities around Athirappilly and self-motivated activists from other parts of Kerala, are engaged in a peaceful struggle in and out of court against the project. Since its first clearance in 1998, the technical and economic feasibility of the project has been challenged at several forums including two public hearings carried out in 2002 and 2006 as per the directions of the high court of Kerala.

At least 10 local self governments have passed resolutions citing that the project if implemented would impair their drinking and irrigation water needs. Thousands from all over India have participated in the two satyagrahas organised at Athirappilly led by river basin communities opposing the implementation of the project.

Yet, the KSEB in its reply to the MoEF’s show-cause notice says that there is no local opposition to the project. A baseless and misleading comment, to say the least. On the contrary the KSEB funded environment impact assessment (EIA) report completely misses mentioning the impacts on the fully Kadar tribal village, Vazhachal, located just 500 metres downstream of the demarcated dam site.

The MoEF’s expert appraisal committee (EAC) has given a personal hearing to KSEB officials on March 22 and 23. No such privilege unfortunately came the way of the communities and activists who have been demanding a similar space for several years. Nevertheless, that is a recent past. Since then the local media in Kerala flashes unconfirmed updates. The most recent one being that Jairam Ramesh, minister of state, MoEF refused to sign on the report prepared by the EAC on grounds of its content not being adequate.

Kilometres away from where Chalakudy river flows, lies the power to decide on its future. I end with hope that the river and its people will not be dammed seventh time over and Athirappilly’s water will continue to flow.

Link - http://www.deccanherald.com/content/...all-saved.html

Athirappilly project threatens hornbills

MINI MURINGATHERI

‘They are endemic to low elevation forests in limited locations of South India and Sri Lanka'

If you trek deep into the Athirappilly-Vazhachal forests in the Southern Western Ghats, chances are that you may hear, from up in the canopy of trees, a heavy whooshing sound – somewhat similar to that of a jet airplane. If you are lucky, you will catch a glimpse of a magnificent bird, the Great Hornbill. But if the 163-MW Athirappilly hydroelectric project proposed by the Kerala State Electricity Board comes through, these unique birds might vanish from these forests.

The survival of the hornbills hangs in the balance as the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Committee, led by environmentalist Madhav Gadgil, is set to submit its report on the environmental impact of the Athirappilly project by the end of March. If the committee approves the project, it will lead to the submergence of the hornbills' habitat.

The unique low-elevation (180 m MSL) riparian forest in the Athirappilly-Vazhachal area is the only location where you can find all the four South Indian species of hornbills — the Great Hornbill (the State Bird of Kerala), Malabar Pied Hornbill, Malabar Grey Hornbill, and the Indian Grey Hornbill. Their resonating ‘tock.tock.tock' calls and the whooshing sound of their wing flaps have earned them the local name ‘Malamuzhakki' (the one that creates an echo in the hillsides).

“The Athirappilly-Vazhachal forests are the only available nesting location for the threatened Malabar Pied Hornbills (Anthracoceros coronatus) in Kerala. They are endemic to low elevation forests in limited locations of South India and Sri Lanka,” says K.H. Amitha Bachan, a researcher and consultant to Kerala Forest Department and the World Wildlife Fund-India Ecological Monitoring Programme. The other location where this species is found is the Dandeli area in Karnataka.

The prime threat to the species, apart from increased poaching, is lack of suitable nesting trees and feed. Mr. Bachan says that hornbills have an umbilical relationship with the rain forests. Forests undisturbed by humans are crucial for their survival. The natural hollows of high-canopy trees serve as their nests. They are extremely sensitive to disturbances. Though their long bills prevent binocular vision, their sharp eyes and good hearing alert them to the slightest movement on the forest floor. “During our surveys, we located as many as 57 nests in the Vazhachal Forest Division. We found three Great Hornbill nests in a two-kilometre stretch at a 200-metre altitude. This could be one of the last remaining low altitude riparian evergreen forests in the Western Ghats.”

Link - http://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/ene...cle1469307.ece

Some good news for Athirapally. Finally the minister for MoEF Shri Jairam Ramesh has said that no clearance will be given for the Athirapally hydro electric project.

No clearance for Kerala's Athirapally hydro project: Ramesh
Published on Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 19:33 | Source : PTI

Updated at Mon, Jun 13, 2011 at 19:45


Union Environment and Forest Minister Jairam Ramesh on Monday said environment clearance to the much-awaited hydro-electric project at Athirapplly in Kerala could not be given as the proposed site was located in forest.

On evaluation of environment impact, the project had not been cleared, he told a press conference here after holding discussions with Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on various projects of the state.

The 163 MW project planned at the water resource bed of Chalakudy river was revived by the previous LDF government and the present Congress-led UDF Government was also pressing for its clearance.

Ramesh said the Centre had cleared the terms of reference of the Vizhinjam Deep sea International Transhipment Terminal for conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment report.

He said the report would be considered for the final clearance of the project, estimated to cost Rs 4,500 crore on completion.

An amount of Rs 500 crores would be allotted to state for taking up schemes under the Integrated Coastal Zone Management projects.

Ramesh said the schemes were vital for Kerala, where the overall erosion of shoreline was estimated to be around 63.02% as per Shoreline Change Assessment Map prepared by his ministry.

Steps to control pollution, preservation of mangroves and wet-lands would be some of the main thrust of the project, he said.

Ramesh said the Centre had sanctioned a Vembanad Eco-stem restoration scheme for Kerala and Rs 10 crore had been approved as an initial allotment.

It would make available a World Bank loan of USD 20 million for the implementation of various schemes under the Vembanad Eco-system programme, he said.

Ramesh said steps should be taken to check dumping of sewages by the house-boats into the Vembanad Lake, a main tourist destination in Kerala.

On Sabarimala master-plan, Ramesh said the Centre had already sanctioned 13 hectares of forest land for the development of the famous hill-shrine.

"I would also be visiting Sabarimala to discuss the ways to implement the plan, which envisages improved facilities for lakhs of pilgrims visiting the shrine."

The State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and State Expert Appraisal Committee formed by the state had been approved by his Ministry, Ramesh said.

Kerala Ministers (Port) K Baby, R B Ganeshkumar (Forest), P K Kunhalikutty (Industries) and top officials were present at Ramesh's meeting with Chandy.

Link -http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/currentaffairs/noclearanceforkeralasathirapallyhydroprojectramesh _556919.html