Union Minister Prakash Javadekar declined on Sunday to answer questions about three projects in Goa that he, as chairman of the standing committee of the Ministry of Environmental Forests and Climate Change, had approved in April and instead said that ‘ I’d look into the matter ‘if I present you a memorandum.
Javadekar was in Goa as part of the BJP’s strategy to send ministers across the country to discuss the benefits of the controversial recently passed agricultural bills.
During his press conference in the state capital, reporters asked questions about the diversion of forest land for the expansion of a railroad, a highway and a new power line that he had cleared in a meeting held by videoconference during the closure in April of this year.
But he feigned ignorance on the issues, as well as his ministry’s advice to the Karnataka government that he would not need an environmental permit for the Mhadei river diversion project that Karnataka is building to the detriment of Goa.
“If I get the memo, I will definitely study it,” Javadekar said when asked to respond to concerns raised by locals about the diversion of forest land for projects.
The ministry’s standing committee gave its approval to the diversion of forest land from the reported wildlife sanctuaries in Mollem along Goa’s eastern border with Karnataka for three projects: the duplication of an existing railway line between Hubli in Karnataka and Vasco da Gama in Goa. the expansion of national highway 4A between Belgaum in North Karnataka and Goa and a power line.
The railway line, by far the largest of the three, will have a diversion cost of 113,857 ha. of forest land in the protected area and felling of 18,541 trees. The second project: the four lanes of the existing two-lane highway that was built by the Portuguese colonial government between Panaji in Goa and Belgavi in Karnataka will cost 31,015 ha of forest land and aims to make 12,097 trees in part by widening the existing highway. , but largely by creating entirely new roads in viaduct structures parallel to the existing road, where it cannot be extended due to the difficult nature of the terrain. Third, a 400KV power line is also proposed, of which 3.5 km through a protected forest to increase the power supply between Goa and Karnataka to provide additional power to Goa.
These authorizations have now been challenged before the Superior Court and the Central Empowered Committee constituted by the Supreme Court on the grounds that they have been hastily cleared and threaten the rich biodiversity of the region.
Javadekar was also questioned by his ministry’s council to the Karnataka government before the by-elections in Karnataka last year that his projects would not need an environmental authorization.
“The CM will answer you about this. The matter is in the courts and nothing happens at all, ”Javadekar said before leaving.
The MoEF, in a letter to the Karnataka government, noted that the scheme “does not contemplate creating a new command area or providing water to existing command areas for irrigation. Furthermore, the project does not involve hydroelectric power generation. [and] it is purely a drinking water supply scheme and [hence] it does not attract the provisions of the 2006 EIA notice and its subsequent amendments.
Congress was quick to accuse the BJP minister of betraying one state in favor of another.
“Avoiding questions that betray Mother Mhadei, make it clear that @ BJP4India in collusion with @ BJP4Goa and @goacm sold our Lifeline to Karnataka for Political Profits. The faulty @DrPramodPSawant is once again exposed, ”said State Congress Speaker Girish Chodankar.
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