Gone Missing

Old growth trees felled for 'green energy' projects

I recently read about the film Well Done, Abba! made by one of India’s most respected directors, Shyam Benegal. The film is about a stolen well from a village. It highlights how corruption led to non-existent wells in a village and these ‘ghost wells’ were challenged by a father daughter duo.

Reading about this in the book Non-Stop India by Mark Tully, former Chief of Bureau, BBC New Delhi, I could not resist drawing parallels about a recent problem we worked on in the Western Ghats; the ‘green energy’ projects. The state of Karnataka is grappled with severe shortage of electricity leading to several measures from the state including encouraging power generation from renewable sources.

A case in point is a run-of-the-river power project (popularly called as mini-hydel) being built in the Kenchanakumari and Yedakumari Reserved Forests in Hassan district. The location of the project would impress anyone interested in forest and wildlife conservation. Multi layered forests, lofty trees, epiphytes, climbers, gushing streams; a perfect rainforest habitat. The landscape is home to tiger, elephant, hornbill, Travancore flying squirrel, Nilgiri marten and many other wildlife species all protected under India’s premier conservation legislation, The Wildlife Protection Act 1972. The area even hosts two frog species, Gundia Indian frog and Kottigehara bush from, that are found nowhere else in the world.

The project proponents, Maruthi Power Gen (India) Limited, have permission for two projects to be built in the same location including the same survey numbers, and of course they claim to be constructing two projects. However at the project location one would find that one of the power projects is ‘missing’. Inspired by Well Done, Abba! I am tempted to file a police complaint as it would deceive a power starved state from producing nearly 20 MW of electricity. The state has sacrificed forestland; huge subsidies have been given using tax payer’s money and even by international agencies such as the United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC). So how can we afford to have a ‘missing’ project?

So where has this power project gone? The records in the Forest Department which is the competent authority to give permissions is straight. It clearly states Maruthi Power Gen (India) Limited is allowed to construct two power generation projects of 18.9 and 19.0 MW in survey numbers 1 and 16 of Yedakumari Village in the Kenchankumari and Kagneri Reserved Forests. The forestlands diverted to the projects are 4.18 and 4.20 hectares which has been fully utilized. However one of the projects is missing. There is only one weir, one power house (in construction phase) and all other components required for a power generation unit stands as one project.

 

Siting of some of these projects are a cause of concern as they would completely break the corridors of wildlife between south and central Western Ghats in Karnataka.

Misleading the Forest Conservation Act

On detailed scrutiny the story unfolds. If forestland to be diverted is above 5 hectares then the project proposal would be referred to the Forest Advisory Committee (FAC), a legal body setup by the Ministry of Forests and Environment under the Forest Conservation Act 1980, which scrutinizes forestland diversions. However this mini-hydel project required about nine hectares of forestland. So, conveniently the project was split into ‘two projects’ and sanctioned to bye-pass the FAC inspection.

Similarly any power generation unit that produces above 25 MW will be considered as a normal hydel project and becomes mandatory to carryout Environmental Impact Assessment and public hearing. So, the project investors again divided the project into two projects of 18.9 and 19.0 MW to avoid following the mandatory norms. Going further if the project was above 25 MW it would be ineligible for the all the financial incentives the Government provided. Even UNFCC provides cash incentives as these are power generation initiatives purportedly having no impacts on the environment unlike large hydel projects which involves submergence of vast forest areas and at times involves relocation of people.

However the truth on-ground is that these ‘green-energy’ projects have been located in some of the most critical wildlife corridors that are extremely fragile and rich in biodiversity. Throwing all natural justice norms to wind the local authorities have given a clean chit saying that no wildlife exists in this area nor it is an ecologically sensitive area. Ironically the same local forest administration authorities are now claiming that land from farmers should be acquired as they face severe conflict with elephants in this same area!

Paradoxically our stringent wildlife and forest conservation laws are violated with little understanding or respect for our natural world. In a bizarre step the Karnataka Renewable Energy Department, the Government arm to promote renewable energy sources has permitted 44 mini-hydel projects against the River Nethravathi in the Western Ghats of Karnataka. It would become impossible to call this as a river if the water is dammed and stored at 44 locations. A total of 72 such run-of-the-river power generation projects have been sanctioned in the Western Ghats of Karnataka.

Everyone encourages renewable energy generation. However in this case the siting of these projects is the cause of concern. If our central ministry be interested to open these cupboards to delve into the violations, certainly more skeletons will roll out.  Economic growth is slowly chipping away our wildlife habitats, systematically destroying our precious natural heritage using the magic word ‘development’. However this development should not be at the cost of the few swathes of natural forests left in the country. 

An edited version of the article was published in Hindustan Times on 21-12-2011

http://www.hindustantimes.com/News-Feed/ColumnsOthers/Greedy-for-growth/Article1-785081.aspx

Talking green, going red

Several mini-hydel power projects have been installed in the Western Ghats damaging the fragile eco-system. Pic: Naagakiran

In the state of Karnataka energy deficiency is a much debated political topic. In their attempt to gain electoral support, and more importantly avoid embarrassing legislative questions successive Governments have permitted several ‘green energy’ projects. As a result over 70 small hydropower projects (<25 MW capacity), popularly called as mini-hydel projects, have peppered several rivers and streams that dot the forests of Western Ghats. Though these projects are required to meet the growing demand of electricity, the siting of some these projects is the cause of concern.

The Western Ghats, a biological hotspot are complex mountain systems forming catchment area for river systems that drain nearly 40 percent of the country. These enchanting mountains running parallel to the west coast support the human society through a variety of eco-system services including water regulation, flood control, carbon sequestration, genetic repositories and several other factors. Importantly they harbour some of our endemic and endangered wildlife species including tiger, elephant, lion-tailed macaque, Nilgiri tahr, hornbill and many more. For several decades these forests are subjected to a variety of human disturbances and now mini-hydel projects join the list of threats.

Unlike thermal or nuclear power plants these cleaner, ‘greener’ projects have gained currency in the last decade as they do not have any direct effect on humans. Hence these politically palatable projects even drummed up support of environmentalists. Though talking green can be politically correct, but the on-ground realities can be different, infact very different.

From a wildlife conservation perspective these projects are already proving pricey. Several roads are formed in pristine forests by felling thousands of trees. Transmission lines that evacuate power to the central grid necessitates further cutting of trees leading to linear fragmentation of wildlife habitats. Canopy dwelling species such as the lion-tailed macaque, a highly endangered Western Ghats endemic, flying squirrel, slender loris, to name a few are severely impacted by linear fragmentation. Breakage in tree canopy contiguity limits their movements to smaller home ranges restricting access to food sources. These animals need to scout large areas of forests as fruit bearing trees are spread over several thousand acres and are seasonal in nature. Genetic related disorders creep in due to inbreeding, as these animals are unable to mix with other groups due to the breakage in their movement corridors.

Curtailing river flow impacts fresh water flora and fauna. Fresh water fish endemism is particularly high in the Ghats. Control of water flow by these projects will affect fish migration and spawning, nesting of amphibians and a host of other problems.

In the evergreen forests of Hassan district, Gundia Indian frog a critically endangered species is independently evolving in India since the last 50 million years. Recognised as an EDGE (Evolutionarily Distinct and Globally Endangered) species it is found in a small area of 100 sq km. The Kemphole mini-hydel project, where this frog has its last stronghold, has ensured the further depletion of this rare amphibian.

Several old growth trees have been cut to form roads and other infrastructure. Pic: Bhuvnesh

In the past 36 months biologists have discovered 14 frog species, five species of insects and one fish species that are new to science in the Western Ghats forests of Karnataka alone. It would be ludicrous if we lose species even before they are revealed.

Some of these projects fall in the forests that have no legal protection but have all the characteristics of natural forests. Though the Supreme Court has ordered protection of unprotected forests (deemed forests) little attention is paid to this. Relaxations made in the rules for power projects generating less than 25 MW are grossly misused. By splitting projects into multiple ventures, promoters hoodwink the mandatory environmental clearance required for projects above 25MW. This ploy also helps claim subsidies for multiple projects. Some allege that their production capacities are higher than they are permitted.

Sardonically some of these projects have even claimed incentives from United Nations Framework Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC) for being ‘green’. The state and central Governments have offered several subsidies making these projects almost free of cost for the investors. Even project permits are traded for high returns.

This ‘small is beautiful’ concept has the same effect as large hydropower projects, cumulatively possibly even higher. The scale of impact for every megawatt generated is comparable to the large hydro power projects. The negative effects seem to evidently outweigh the benefits and clearly there is no scientific basis for the ‘green’ claim of these businesses.

Energy Department of Karnataka estimates that the potential of small hydro power generation is 3,000 MW. The 72 projects in the Western Ghats of Karnataka even operating at their optimum levels would produce less than ten percent of the state’s energy needs. However their impacts on forests and wildlife are larger both in economic and environmental terms. If detailed studies with the help of true experts rather than through self-appointed environmental impact assesses are made, more feasible project locations could be drawn out.

Breakage of habitat contiguity has severe impacts on canopy dwelling wildlife species such as the lion-tailed macaque. Pic:Naagkiran

Wildlife habitats seem to be the softest targets for policy makers and business proponents. Our governance approach is to wake up to the impacts after the effects are too conspicuous and irreversible. As the old saying goes prevention is better than cure. It’s perhaps time to rethink our environmental governance approaches and make some space for nature.

An edited version of this article was published in the 16-30th June, 2011 edition of Governance Now.