Notice to Telangana Government Over Alleged Violation in Sitamma Sagar Project

HYDERABAD: A joint committee set up by the Centre has issued a notice to the state government alleging that work was continuing with securing environmental clearance on the the Sitamma Sagar multi-purpose project (SSMP) across the Godavari in Bhadradri Kothagudem district.

The committee, set up by the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEF&CC) issued the notice to the Telangana state irrigation department and the general administration department (GAD) and sought a reply in 15 days.

The SSPM, a ‘run-of-the-river’ project, is meant to generate 320 MW of hydroelectric power and supply irrigation water to about 2.73 lakh hectare under the Sita Rama Lift Irrigation Scheme (SRLIS) on a need basis, as well as drinking water.

The committee in its report submitted to the National Green Tribunal said that as per the findings of the site inspection of the SSMP, “25 to 30 per cent of project related construction work has been completed without obtaining environment clearance (EC) from the MoEF&CC, amounting to violation of Environmental Impact Assessment Notification (EIA), 2006”.

It said that the SSMP involved inter-state issues and would require approval from the Centre for the EC. It was still under the consideration of the MoEF&CC, the committee said.

The notice came in response to an application filed by the residents of the Ammagaripalli village of Aswapuram mandal in Bhadradri Kothagudem district, where the project is located. The residents had complained that the project was being built without considering the likely disastrous impact of the Polavaram project in Andhra Praesh. It said upcoming project had caused flooding in the local area in July 2022.