Balance needed between environment and energy needs: Khandu

Itanagar, May 29 (UNI) Environmentalism of some anti-development groups and vested interests, delay in environment clearance causing inordinate delay to projects and escalating their costs are proving a big drag on our efforts to develop hydropower in the state to achieve the target of capacity addition programme during the 11th Plan, Arunachal Pradesh Chief Minister Dorjee Khandu said.

Addressing the conference of chief ministers on power sector issues, chaired by Prime Minister Manmohan Singh at Delhi yesterday, Khandu said that forests, one of our valuable assets, have become a liability in taping over 55,000 MW hydropower potential of the state, official sources said.

The state government has set apart about 11.5 per cent of its total 81 per cent forests area under protected area network as against the poor national average of about 4.5 per cent and taken initiative to develop hydro-electric projects with due environmental considerations while its present policy seeks a balance between reservoir project and run-of-river scheme, he disclosed.

In all seven projects have already been allotted to the Central Public Sector Undertakings (CPSUs) like NHPC, NTPC and NEEPCO with a total installed capacity of 10,230 MW. 14 projects totaling 9,275 MW have been allotted to seven private companies. Of these, 11 having estimated capacity of 7,985 MW, have been allotted on equity participation basis.

In addition, bids for 13 projects with estimated capacity of 8,020 MW have been invited, he said. The 2,000 MW Lower Subansiri Hydro-electric Project, however, was temporarily suspended due to imposition of irrational environmental and forests clearances conditions, which were not acceptable to the state government and NHPC, the implementing agency, he said, and advocated a pragmatic view to strike a balance between environmental and energy interest of the country.

More UNI