Mapping of rivers under consideration
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BHUBANESWAR: Orissa is contemplating mapping all river systems in the State on various parameters in the wake of pollution being perceived due to release of waste water by industries and urban local bodies into rivers.
“While allocation of river water for agriculture and industrial purposes is a highly debated subject, quality of river water is slowly emerging a major concern. We are thinking of preparing indices for each river,” State Forest and Environment Secretary Aurobindo Behera said one the sidelines of a seminar here on Sunday.
“We would like to know where we are on different parameters such as quality, quantity, usage and discharge of waste water being released into river water by industries and urban local bodies,” Mr. Behera said.
The Forest and Environment Secretary said the present policy and enforcement mechanism to tackle river pollutions also needed to be reexamined.
“Moreover, urban centres are expanding across the State. The daily effluent being generated from cities are also dumped in rivers. It will create a problem in future,” he said.
The State government has signed a memorandum of understanding with private companies for close to 100 projects including steel manufacturing, thermal power and alumina refinery.
According to industries department, about 30 projects in the steel sector have started partial production in addition to about 100 sponge iron units. Most of the upcoming industrial and mining projects are coming up depending on water in rivers like Mahanadi, Brahmani and Baitarani.
http://www.hindu.com/2011/04/25/stories/2011042561790400.htm
Tuesday, April 26, 2011
Friday, April 15, 2011
River Linking
India priortises 5 river interlinking projectshttp://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif
Out of a total 30 river linking projects, the government has shortlisted five including the Godavari-Krishna and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal schemes
Published on 04/15/2011 - 09:52:54 AM
Kolkata: The central government is currently giving priority to five river interlinking projects, including the Godavari-Krishna and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal schemes, a senior official said.
"There are a total of 30 river linking projects. We are now giving priority to five," Central Water Commission Chairman AK Bajaj said.
The five projects include Ken-Betwa rivers interlink between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Par-Tapi-Narmada rivers and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal rivers between Gujarat and Maharashtra, Chambal-Kali-Sindh rivers between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and Godavari-Krishna rivers between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Bajaj said.
According to him, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra have agreed to share water with other states, but states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh were raising some issues, reports IANS.
On India's water sharing with other countries, Bajaj said: "Our country has water sharing treaties with all SAARC nations, except Sri Lanka."
"Nepal is not sharing water with us, but Bhutan is pragmatic in water sharing as 50 per cent of the country's gross domestic product comes from selling electricity," Bajaj added.
Out of a total 30 river linking projects, the government has shortlisted five including the Godavari-Krishna and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal schemes
Published on 04/15/2011 - 09:52:54 AM
Kolkata: The central government is currently giving priority to five river interlinking projects, including the Godavari-Krishna and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal schemes, a senior official said.
"There are a total of 30 river linking projects. We are now giving priority to five," Central Water Commission Chairman AK Bajaj said.
The five projects include Ken-Betwa rivers interlink between Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh, Par-Tapi-Narmada rivers and Dawan-Ganga-Pinjal rivers between Gujarat and Maharashtra, Chambal-Kali-Sindh rivers between Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, and Godavari-Krishna rivers between Andhra Pradesh and Karnataka, Bajaj said.
According to him, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat and Maharashtra have agreed to share water with other states, but states like Orissa and Chhattisgarh were raising some issues, reports IANS.
On India's water sharing with other countries, Bajaj said: "Our country has water sharing treaties with all SAARC nations, except Sri Lanka."
"Nepal is not sharing water with us, but Bhutan is pragmatic in water sharing as 50 per cent of the country's gross domestic product comes from selling electricity," Bajaj added.
Monday, April 4, 2011
Polavaram Politics
Chhattisgarh to file petition in SC soon
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 05, 201http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif1, 0:39 IST
No difference of opinion with Orissa, says Chhattisgarh minister
The row over the controversial Polavaram project is set to intensify further with the Chhattisgarh government bracing itself to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India, keeping in view the interests of its affected people.
"The negotiations with the Orissa Chief Minister were optimistic. There is no difference of opinion with the Orissa government on the Polavaram project. We are soon going to file a petition in the Supreme Court keeping in view the concerns of the people of our state to be affected by the project", Vikram Usendi, minister (forest, public enterprises & public grievances), Chhattisgarh government told media persons after emerging out of a meeting with the Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"We don't have any difference of opinion with the Chhattisgarh government as far as the Polavaram project is concerned", said Suresh Mohapatra, principal secretary (water resources), Orissa government.
Meanwhile, the hearing on the Polavaram project in the apex court has been deferred till next Monday. The Andhra Pradesh government today filed the names of three experts- M Gopalakrishnan, B M Ahuja and J Hassan with the apex court.
It may be noted that on last Friday, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Andhra Pradesh government for its failure to submit names of experts in connection with the Polavaram project within the time-frame stipulated by the court.
The Orissa government has already filed the names of experts with the apex court.
The members of the expert committee constituted by the Orissa government are Anil D Mohile, former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), D K Goswami, professor of IIT-Delhi and M Perumal, professor of IIT-Roorkee.
In accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court, Orissa had constituted a three-member expert committee to examine various issues pertaining to the controversial Polavaram project.
The Orissa government had approached the Supreme Court on September 4 last year, challenging the Centre's decision to give final environmental clearance for the project.
On October 4 last year, the apex court had asked the Government of India to file its response within a month to the petition filed by the Orissa government in connection with the controversial Polavaram project.
In its suit, Orissa had sought a declaration that Andhra Pradesh had no right or entitlement to undertake or proceed with the Polavaram project on the Godavari river. It had also stated that embankments were not permanent solutions to effectively contain submergence during floods.
Moreover, the extent of submergence due to design flood (which had been revised to 50 lakh cusecs from the original 36 lakh cusecs by the CWC itself) and the backwater effect along the Sabari and Sileru limbs (flowing through Orissa territory into the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh) had been finalised by the CWC without estimating the flood contributions from these limbs separately by following any rational procedure or acceptable norm, according to the petition filed by the Orissa government.
As per the estimates of the state government, the project was likely to submerge 2119.38 hectares of land in Naxalite-affected tribal areas of Malkangiri .
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar April 05, 201http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif1, 0:39 IST
No difference of opinion with Orissa, says Chhattisgarh minister
The row over the controversial Polavaram project is set to intensify further with the Chhattisgarh government bracing itself to file a petition in the Supreme Court of India, keeping in view the interests of its affected people.
"The negotiations with the Orissa Chief Minister were optimistic. There is no difference of opinion with the Orissa government on the Polavaram project. We are soon going to file a petition in the Supreme Court keeping in view the concerns of the people of our state to be affected by the project", Vikram Usendi, minister (forest, public enterprises & public grievances), Chhattisgarh government told media persons after emerging out of a meeting with the Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik.
"We don't have any difference of opinion with the Chhattisgarh government as far as the Polavaram project is concerned", said Suresh Mohapatra, principal secretary (water resources), Orissa government.
Meanwhile, the hearing on the Polavaram project in the apex court has been deferred till next Monday. The Andhra Pradesh government today filed the names of three experts- M Gopalakrishnan, B M Ahuja and J Hassan with the apex court.
It may be noted that on last Friday, the Supreme Court had pulled up the Andhra Pradesh government for its failure to submit names of experts in connection with the Polavaram project within the time-frame stipulated by the court.
The Orissa government has already filed the names of experts with the apex court.
The members of the expert committee constituted by the Orissa government are Anil D Mohile, former chairman of the Central Water Commission (CWC), D K Goswami, professor of IIT-Delhi and M Perumal, professor of IIT-Roorkee.
In accordance with the direction of the Supreme Court, Orissa had constituted a three-member expert committee to examine various issues pertaining to the controversial Polavaram project.
The Orissa government had approached the Supreme Court on September 4 last year, challenging the Centre's decision to give final environmental clearance for the project.
On October 4 last year, the apex court had asked the Government of India to file its response within a month to the petition filed by the Orissa government in connection with the controversial Polavaram project.
In its suit, Orissa had sought a declaration that Andhra Pradesh had no right or entitlement to undertake or proceed with the Polavaram project on the Godavari river. It had also stated that embankments were not permanent solutions to effectively contain submergence during floods.
Moreover, the extent of submergence due to design flood (which had been revised to 50 lakh cusecs from the original 36 lakh cusecs by the CWC itself) and the backwater effect along the Sabari and Sileru limbs (flowing through Orissa territory into the Godavari in Andhra Pradesh) had been finalised by the CWC without estimating the flood contributions from these limbs separately by following any rational procedure or acceptable norm, according to the petition filed by the Orissa government.
As per the estimates of the state government, the project was likely to submerge 2119.38 hectares of land in Naxalite-affected tribal areas of Malkangiri .
Chhattisgarh delegation meets Odisha CM over problems of drinking water in Jagdalpur
Report by Orissa Diary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: A high level delegation from Chhattisgarh meets Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik at Bhubaneswar on Monday. The delegation of Chhattisgarh has discussed with the Chief Minister on Monday in the Orissa Secretariat on the problems of drinking water in Jagdalpur of Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister has directed to construct two barrages on Indrâvati river and Ghora canal. The funds will be given by the Chhattisgarh government for construction of above two projects. After construction of abovetwo projects, the drinking water problem of Jagdalpur will be solved.
The delegation of Chhatisgarh headed by the Minister of Forest Bikram Ussendi discussed with the Chief Minister. Secretary of Water Resources Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and other senior officers were present at the time of discussion.
Report by Orissa Diary correspondent; Bhubaneswar: A high level delegation from Chhattisgarh meets Orissa CM Naveen Patnaik at Bhubaneswar on Monday. The delegation of Chhattisgarh has discussed with the Chief Minister on Monday in the Orissa Secretariat on the problems of drinking water in Jagdalpur of Chhattisgarh.
The Chief Minister has directed to construct two barrages on Indrâvati river and Ghora canal. The funds will be given by the Chhattisgarh government for construction of above two projects. After construction of abovetwo projects, the drinking water problem of Jagdalpur will be solved.
The delegation of Chhatisgarh headed by the Minister of Forest Bikram Ussendi discussed with the Chief Minister. Secretary of Water Resources Suresh Chandra Mohapatra and other senior officers were present at the time of discussion.
Sunday, March 20, 2011
Polavaram Politics
Public hearing on Polavaram irrigation project
Raipur, March 16 (IANS) After strong objections of Chhattisgarh, the central government has decided to hold a public hearing over a planned irrigation project on Godavari river by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the state assembly was informed Wednesday.
"Union Minister for Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh has agreed to hold a public hearing on Polavaram irrigation project after the Chhattisgarh government strongly put the case before him," an official statement said.
According to the Chhattisgarh government, the project will submerge 7,500 hectares of forest land in the state and will affect population of 20 villages in Dantewada district.
The statement said Ramesh has informed Chief Minister Raman Singh by a letter about the decision to hold a public hearing.
Last week too, Raman Singh told the state assembly that the government would oppose the project "at all levels as it is not acceptable to Chhattisgarh".
Ramesh too has objected to the Andhra Pradesh going ahead with the project without settling the issue of building embankments with the Chhattisgarh and Orissa governments.
Raipur, March 16 (IANS) After strong objections of Chhattisgarh, the central government has decided to hold a public hearing over a planned irrigation project on Godavari river by neighbouring Andhra Pradesh, the state assembly was informed Wednesday.
"Union Minister for Forest and Environment Jairam Ramesh has agreed to hold a public hearing on Polavaram irrigation project after the Chhattisgarh government strongly put the case before him," an official statement said.
According to the Chhattisgarh government, the project will submerge 7,500 hectares of forest land in the state and will affect population of 20 villages in Dantewada district.
The statement said Ramesh has informed Chief Minister Raman Singh by a letter about the decision to hold a public hearing.
Last week too, Raman Singh told the state assembly that the government would oppose the project "at all levels as it is not acceptable to Chhattisgarh".
Ramesh too has objected to the Andhra Pradesh going ahead with the project without settling the issue of building embankments with the Chhattisgarh and Orissa governments.
Idco kicks off land acquisition for ultra mega power project
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar March 18, 2011, 0:14 IST
The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Idco) has filed proposal for alienation of 3244.16 acres of land for the 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) proposed to be set up at Bhedabahal in Sundergarh district.
According to the information provided by Raghunath Mohanty, the minister for industries and steel & mines on the floor of the house, the alienation proposal has been filed for 512.21 acres of government land and 2731.95 acres of private land.
The UMPP is being taken up at an investment of around Rs 16,000 crore. The Orissa Integrated Power Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for UMPPs, has extended the deadline for submitting the response to 'Request for Qualification' (RFQ) for this project to March 31.
Water for this UMPP has been allocated from the Ib river and check dams and barrages would be put up on the river for this purpose. The project has been allotted Meenakshi, Meenakshi-B and Dipside Meenakshi coal blocks containing a total reserve of 880 million tonnes.
Besides the Bhedabahal UMPP, there are proposals to set up two additional UMPPs in the state. While the Centre proposed to set up the second UMPP in Bolangir district, five locations have been shortlisted for the third UMPP- Kirtania, Dhamara, Astaranga, Paradeep and Gopalpur. The Centre has sought additional information on the suitability of these locations and the concerned departments of the state government would furnish the information on the same, said an official source.
Orissa would get 1300 MW from the first UMPP at Bhedabahal and 50 per cent of the power generated by the other two UMPPs.
The Orissa government has signed MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with as many as 27 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for setting up power plants with a combined capacity of 32,420 MW. Seventeen of these IPPs have been asked to go for super critical technologies.
In addition to this, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has announced to set up two new super thermal power plants in the state- 4800 MW plant at Darlipalli in Sundergarh district and one 3200 MW plant at Gajmara in Dhenkanal district.
The navratna power utility, with an installed capacity of 3460 MW in Orissa, will invest over Rs 50,000 crore for creating additional capacity of 9320 MW in the state by the end of 2017.
Besides setting up two mega power projects at Darlipalli and Gajamara, NTPC is also scaling up the capacity of its existing thermal power station at Talcher by adding 1320 MW (2x660 MW) through two supercritical units.
BS Reporter / Kolkata/ Bhubaneswar March 18, 2011, 0:14 IST
The Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd (Idco) has filed proposal for alienation of 3244.16 acres of land for the 4000 MW Ultra Mega Power Project (UMPP) proposed to be set up at Bhedabahal in Sundergarh district.
According to the information provided by Raghunath Mohanty, the minister for industries and steel & mines on the floor of the house, the alienation proposal has been filed for 512.21 acres of government land and 2731.95 acres of private land.
The UMPP is being taken up at an investment of around Rs 16,000 crore. The Orissa Integrated Power Limited, a fully owned subsidiary of Power Finance Corporation (PFC), the nodal agency for UMPPs, has extended the deadline for submitting the response to 'Request for Qualification' (RFQ) for this project to March 31.
Water for this UMPP has been allocated from the Ib river and check dams and barrages would be put up on the river for this purpose. The project has been allotted Meenakshi, Meenakshi-B and Dipside Meenakshi coal blocks containing a total reserve of 880 million tonnes.
Besides the Bhedabahal UMPP, there are proposals to set up two additional UMPPs in the state. While the Centre proposed to set up the second UMPP in Bolangir district, five locations have been shortlisted for the third UMPP- Kirtania, Dhamara, Astaranga, Paradeep and Gopalpur. The Centre has sought additional information on the suitability of these locations and the concerned departments of the state government would furnish the information on the same, said an official source.
Orissa would get 1300 MW from the first UMPP at Bhedabahal and 50 per cent of the power generated by the other two UMPPs.
The Orissa government has signed MoUs (Memorandum of Understanding) with as many as 27 Independent Power Producers (IPPs) for setting up power plants with a combined capacity of 32,420 MW. Seventeen of these IPPs have been asked to go for super critical technologies.
In addition to this, National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC) has announced to set up two new super thermal power plants in the state- 4800 MW plant at Darlipalli in Sundergarh district and one 3200 MW plant at Gajmara in Dhenkanal district.
The navratna power utility, with an installed capacity of 3460 MW in Orissa, will invest over Rs 50,000 crore for creating additional capacity of 9320 MW in the state by the end of 2017.
Besides setting up two mega power projects at Darlipalli and Gajamara, NTPC is also scaling up the capacity of its existing thermal power station at Talcher by adding 1320 MW (2x660 MW) through two supercritical units.
Monday, March 7, 2011
Polavaram Politics
Since I have made a commitment on the floor of the House and I have stressed the need to implement the Polavaram project with the full cooperation of Orissa and Chhattisgarh, I would request for your cooperation in the matter to facilitate conduct of public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh soon Jairam Ramesh, environment minister
SEEKING to mediate in the inter-state dispute over the Polavaram hydel and irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday asked the governments of Orissa and Chhattisgarh to help Andhra Pradesh in carrying out the mandatory public hearings for construction of embankments in areas under their jurisdiction.
Jairam wrote to the chief ministersof boththestatessayingthat Andhra Pradesh had already re questedthestatepollutioncontrol boards of Orissa and Chhattisgarh to facilitate public hearings fortheprojectbuthadnotreceived any response so far. The letter was sent after Jairam gave an assurance in the Rajya Sabha today that he would get the three states together to resolve the long-standing dispute over the R17,000 crore mega-project that will produce 960-MW electricity and irrigate nearlythreelakhhectaresof land.
"Since I have made a commitmentonthefloorof theHouseandI have stressed the need to implement the Polavaram project with the full cooperation of Orissa and Chhattisgarh, I would request for your cooperation in the matter to facilitate conduct of public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh soon," Jairam said in his letter to RamanSinghandNaveenPatnaik. The public hearings have been necessitated by the design changesmadebyAndhraPradesh in the project because of which a fresh environmental clearance was required. Andhra Pradesh of fered to construct protective embankments on Sabari and Sileru rivers in Chhattisgarh and Orissa after the two states had had protestedagainsttheproject,complaining that it was likely to sub merge a number of their villages.
The project had initially been cleared by the Environment Ministry in 2005. Following the design changes, an amended clearance was granted in 2009 subject to the result of the public hearings to be conducted by Andhra Pradesh government in the two states. The affected areas fall under Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh and Malkangiri district of Orissa, both naxal-infested areas with large tribal populations.
Since the public hearings were not held, the Ministry had last November issued a showcause notice to Andhra Pradesh asking why the clearance must not be withdrawn.
Earlier, Jairam made a statement in Rajya Sabha on the issue after BJP's Venkaiah Naidu raise the matter and suggested that the Central government needed to intervene in resolving the dispute between the three states. He offered to arrange a meeting between the three chief ministers if that was required.
http://epaper.financialexpress.com/FE/FE/2011/03/05/ArticleHtmls/05_03_2011_005_010.shtml
SEEKING to mediate in the inter-state dispute over the Polavaram hydel and irrigation project in Andhra Pradesh, environment minister Jairam Ramesh on Friday asked the governments of Orissa and Chhattisgarh to help Andhra Pradesh in carrying out the mandatory public hearings for construction of embankments in areas under their jurisdiction.
Jairam wrote to the chief ministersof boththestatessayingthat Andhra Pradesh had already re questedthestatepollutioncontrol boards of Orissa and Chhattisgarh to facilitate public hearings fortheprojectbuthadnotreceived any response so far. The letter was sent after Jairam gave an assurance in the Rajya Sabha today that he would get the three states together to resolve the long-standing dispute over the R17,000 crore mega-project that will produce 960-MW electricity and irrigate nearlythreelakhhectaresof land.
"Since I have made a commitmentonthefloorof theHouseandI have stressed the need to implement the Polavaram project with the full cooperation of Orissa and Chhattisgarh, I would request for your cooperation in the matter to facilitate conduct of public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh soon," Jairam said in his letter to RamanSinghandNaveenPatnaik. The public hearings have been necessitated by the design changesmadebyAndhraPradesh in the project because of which a fresh environmental clearance was required. Andhra Pradesh of fered to construct protective embankments on Sabari and Sileru rivers in Chhattisgarh and Orissa after the two states had had protestedagainsttheproject,complaining that it was likely to sub merge a number of their villages.
The project had initially been cleared by the Environment Ministry in 2005. Following the design changes, an amended clearance was granted in 2009 subject to the result of the public hearings to be conducted by Andhra Pradesh government in the two states. The affected areas fall under Dantewada district of Chhattisgarh and Malkangiri district of Orissa, both naxal-infested areas with large tribal populations.
Since the public hearings were not held, the Ministry had last November issued a showcause notice to Andhra Pradesh asking why the clearance must not be withdrawn.
Earlier, Jairam made a statement in Rajya Sabha on the issue after BJP's Venkaiah Naidu raise the matter and suggested that the Central government needed to intervene in resolving the dispute between the three states. He offered to arrange a meeting between the three chief ministers if that was required.
http://epaper.financialexpress.com/FE/FE/2011/03/05/ArticleHtmls/05_03_2011_005_010.shtml
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