GUWAHATI, Feb 20 — Dilly-dally by the State Forest Department in allotting the required 285 hectare shallow water sandbank (riverbed shoal) to the National Hydro-Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) to facilitate commencement of construction of 2000-MW Subansiri Lower Basin Hydroelectric Power Project has raised many a eye-brows in authorities concerned.
Peeved at the delay on part of the State Forest Department to allot the riverbed shoal, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has set March 15, 2003 deadline for issuing clearance for allotment of the riverbed portion to NHPC which will require the same to extract building materials for construction purpose.
Although the State Government is supposed to earn estimated revenue of over Rs 50 crore for alloting the riverbed portion to NHPC, the State Forest Department particularly the Divisional Forest Office at Dhemaji is allegedly delaying the allotment on various pretext. This has raised concern in the NHPC as non-allotment of the riverbed shoal will severely affect the construction of the project.
Meanwhile, the Government of India has already given clearance for use of riverbed shoal for construction of the project. The Government of Arunachal Pradesh too has given its consent for the same. The NHPC is scheduled to begin construction of the 2000 MW hydro-power project which is so far biggest power project in the region in April this year. The estimated cost of the project at March, 2001 price level is Rs 7468 crore and is expected to be completed within six years. The NHPC is committed to harness about 20,000 MW of power in the North Eastern region upto the year 2017. The Corporation has undertaken total 14 projects in the region so far, but none of those has got off properly due to various reasons including threat from militants.
Meanwhile, in reaction to State Forest Department’s delaying ‘tactics’ over allotment of riverbed shoal to the NHPC for its Lower Subansiri project at Gerukamukh in Dhemaji, the AGP MLA from Dhemaji and the vice-president of the regional party has written letters to the State Chief Minister and the Forest Minister calling for immediate action to ensure allotment of the riverbed shoal area to the NHPC.
Meanwhile, sources in the State Forest Department informed that a team of officials of the department including technical experts had been rushed to Gerukamukh to make an on-the-spot study of the matters related to clearing the riverbed portion to be used for construction of the power project.