Saturday, August 19, 2000

Cancellation of Dandeli project hearing urged

BANGALORE, Aug 18 (DHNS)

The Environment Support Gro-up and Parisara Samrakshana Kendra has demanded that the Karnataka State Pollution Con-trol Board (KSPCB) should cancel the environmental public hearing scheduled for the Dandeli-Mini Hydel Project in view of the alleged fraudulentrapid environment impact ass-essments by Ernst and Young, the agency entrusted with this work.

Mr Leo F Saldanha, Mr Pandurang Hegde and others alleged that Ernst and Young had plagiarised the rapid environment impact assessment of the Tatti-halla augmentation scheme prepared by the Institute for Catchment Studies and Envir-onmental Management, Banga-lore, a study conducted during September 1999. The only thing that Ernst and Young have cared to change is the name of the Dam from Tattihalla Augumentation scheme to Dandeli Mini-Hydel project, the release stated.

The environmentalists have demanded a judicial enquiry into the alleged fraud and the disempanelment of Ernst and Young as environment impact consultants in India.

The Dandeli Mini Hydel project proposes construction of two saddle dams across Kali river close to Dandeli Wildlife Sanctuary and Ulavi Bird Sanctuary, involving submergence of hectares of moist deciduous and evergreen forest in Uttara Kannada district to generate 130 million units of energy. The project of Murdeshwar Power Corpora-tion Limited was cleared on June 5 by the goverment as part of its global investors meet.