IN NEWS

52 Andhra villages give Polavaram a red signal

Chetan Chauhan, Hindustan Times
Email Author
New Delhi, November 21, 2010

In a new twist to controversy over forest clearance to Polavaram dam in Andhra Pradesh, 52 village bodies of the state have sought cancellation of environment clearance to the biggest dam in south India as their consent was not sought under the Forest Rights Act. The environment ministry had cancelled forest clearance for bauxite mining for Vedanta Resources aluminum refinery in Orissa on the ground that consent of villagers under FRA was not taken. Similarly, the ministry’s forest advisory committee has found that FRA provisions in case of Posco’s steel plant in Orissa were not met.

“Same is the case with Indira Sagar Polavaram Multipurpose dam,” the villagers said in a letter to Forest Advisory Committee. A resolution to this effect was passed by 52 gram sabhas in Khamman, East Godavari and West Godavari, which will be submerged when the dam is constructed.The villagers have strongly contested the claim of Andhra Pradesh government that the Forest Rights Act was not applicable and no forest rights needed to be settled in the areas of submergence.The villages have sought environment minister Jairam Ramesh’s ……...............

http://www.hindustantimes.com/52-Andhra-villages-give-Polavaram-a-red-signal/Article1-629031.aspx