Some hydel projects that claim exemption from environmental clearance on the basis of size provide a misleading picture of their impact
Why would more than four gram panchayats, environmental activists from three States, the presiding swami of the Subramanya Temple, botanists, fisheries scientists, and institutions like the Indian Institute of Science oppose a small hydel project in a remote corner of the Western Ghats in Karnataka? Aren’t small hydel projects environmentally safe and beneficial?
Greenko’s 24-MW Kukke I Hydel Project, proposed in the dense forests of Dakshin Kannada, highlights how misleading labels like ‘green’ and ‘small’ can be in reality.
The Kukke I project is proposed across Kumaradhara after its confluence with Gundia, two remarkably biodiverse rivers in the Western Ghats. Greenko has also proposed 24-MW Kukke II project upstream of Kukke I. Local communities have been opposing Kukke I for more than a year due to its hidden submergence details and impacts.
http://www.thehindu.com/opinion/op-ed/neither-small-nor-green/article5045672.ece
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