Stiff opposition against Sahsthrakund hydel power project

Yavatmal, Jan 12 (PTI) The public hearing held at tehsiloffice of Mahagaon to seek people''s opinion on setting up theSahsthrakund Hydel power project here turned noisy withcitizens hailing from over 60 affected villages, opposing theproject in unison.

The people''s representatives and leaders of the AntiProject Action Committee have also opposed the project.

According to official sources, the public hearing meetingheld at Mahagaon yesterday under the chairmanship of YavatmalDistrict Resident Deputy Collector Pandurang Borgaonkar, andalso attended by sitting MLA of Umarkhed Vijay Khadse andformer MLA Prakash Patil Deosarkar, saw stiff opposition forthe project, proposed to be set up at an estimated cost of Rs583 crore.

People from over 60 villages coming under the submersionarea of the project strongly opposed it and have threatenedagitation, they said.

Legislator Vijay Khadse said in his address that it wouldaffect the flora and fauna of the region besides destroyinghundreds of acres of fertile land. He has pledged to opposethe project and assured to take up the issue with the stategovernment.

Deosarkar alleged that the survey conducted by the PuneUniversity''s Science and Technology Department was faulty andsaid they had not presented the true picture of the projectsite and its adverse impact.

The Working President of the Anti Project Action CommitteeShridhar Deosarkar and his deputy Deepak Pendhe said theproject will adversely affect tiger and other wildlifepopulation in the Painganga Sanctuary besides destroying lakhsof valuable trees in the protected forest area.

Also, the Maharshtra government has not yet received the''No Objection'' Certificate from the Union Forest Ministry forthe project, they alleged.

Borgaonkar, after giving a patient hearing to the public,assured them that he would communicate their sentiments to thegovernment for necessary action.