Athirapilly hydroelectric project on course

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The state government will go ahead with the controversial Athirapilly hydroelectric project despite the opposition from environmentalists and others. This was stated by electricity minister M.M. Mani in a written reply to Mr N. Shamsuddin in the Assembly on Tuesday. However, the minister’s statement that land acquisition for the 163 MW project had already begun has raised eyebrows. Mainly because only forest land and no revenue land is required for the project, and 140 acres of forest land was handed over to KSEB way back in 1999 for which the Board had paid Rs 4 crore as signorage value for the timber It is also the first time that the government is speaking in terms of land acquisition.

Even the Pinarayi government had till now spoken only about the work it was planning to do in the forest area. For instance, it had conceded last year that it had not been able to cut down the trees in the project area.  Nearly 10,000 trees in Athirappally and in Pukalappara near the waterfalls had been marked for felling as part of starting work on the power project. The Charpa Range of the forest department, too, has been asked to temporarily stop their work on re-demarcating the boundaries of the 138-hectare project site allotted for the project, all within the forest area.

The forest department had also been asked to revise the value of timber within the project area, which was last fixed in 2012, which too has not been done. Mr Mani, it is felt, was only reiterating CPM's resolve to get the project commissioned. KSEB plans to start 15 new hydroelectric projects, which will together generate 312 MW. Athirappilly has been placed 15th in the list. However, CPI, the coalition partner of the LDF government, continues its strident opposition against the project. It was CPI’s objection that forced the Pinarayi government to put the project on hold after the then  electricity minister Kadakampally Surendran, just after he took over, said that the project would be implemented.

Attempt to divert focus: V M Sudheeran

KPCC president V. M. Sudheeran has decried the government move to implement the Athirapilly power project  and alleged that it wanted to divert  attention from major issues like worsening  law and order situation, atrocities against women and price rise of essential goods. Mr Sudheeran warned of an agitation if the   government went ahead with the project. He told reporters here that due to shortage of water,  the expected power cannot be generated from the project. 

Over 14,000 hectares of  irrigation facility will be lost and over 20 local bodies will face water shortage.  The power being generated from  Idamalayar augmentation scheme will be lost if the Athirapilly scheme  is implemented. “The water supply from Periyar will also decline and the life of the tribal population will  be affected. Only the contractors’ lobby will gain,” he said.  He also alleged that both the BJP and the CPM were  hand in glove with each other and that the chief minister was helping the BJP.