Under the chairmanship of the vice chairman of Niti Aayog, the Centre has constituted a high-level committee for the proper management of water resources in the northeastern region. The committee has been set up for the region which forms eight percent of India's land area and contains one-third of the country's water resources. The objective of the committee is to optimise the benefits of appropriate water management in the form of hydroelectric power, agriculture, biodiversity conservation, reduced flood damage erosion, inland water transport, forestry, fishery and ecotourism.
Setting the stage for the completion of the first phase of Yettinahole drinking water project, the national green tribunal has disposed of an appeal challenging the controversial project. Environmentalist K.N. Somashekar had filed a petition before the NGT saying that the Rs 13,000 crore project would be detrimental to the ecosensitive Western Ghats and challenged its exemption from environmental clearances on the grounds that it is not just the drinking water project but also an irrigation scheme.
The national green tribunal has restrained the Maharashtra and Telangana governments from carrying out any construction activities for the Kaleshwaram lift irrigation project and has imposed an interim stay on the project until mandatory clearances including environment and forest clearances are granted. The petition filed against the project has claimed that the construction of the project has been initiated without obtaining proper clearances. The Kaleshwaram lift irrigation across the Godavari river plans to irrigate over seven lakh hectares of land in Telangana.
The national green tribunal has rapped the Punjab government for failing to provide enough incentives to farmers to stop them from burning crop stubble. The tribunal has been told that the government assured favourable incentives to farmers but nothing has been done in this regard. The NGT has also asked the state government to give farmers enough time to make arrangements for the harvesting process. Every year, due to crop stubble burning, severe air pollution occurs in north India.
Maharashtra state cabinet has approved an allocation of Rs 146 crore for the construction of the Virdi irrigation canal in Dodamarg despite the main dam project at the foothills of the Western Ghats in doldrums due to clearance issues. More than 80 percent of the Virdi project had been completed but it was stopped two years ago when the Mhadei tribunal had stayed the construction of the project due to interstate issues with the Goa government. However, despite the tribunal's order, the Maharashtra government has sanctioned funds for the project.
This is a roundup of important policy matters from October 3 - 9, 2017. Also, read the news this week.