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Hans India
a day ago
- Politics
- Hans India
Shashidhar urges AP CM Naidu to shelve Banakacherla project
Hyderabad: In a detailed letter addressed to Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N. Chandrababu Naidu, Dr. M. Channa Reddy Memorial Trust Secretary and senior public policy advocate Marri Shashidhar Reddy has urged the state government to reconsider its ambitious Rs 81,900 crore Polavaram–Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) and instead adopt the proven, low-cost Four Waters Concept (FWC) developed by late irrigation expert T. Hanumantha Rao. The letter highlights the environmental, financial, and administrative challenges facing the PBLP, which aims to irrigate 30 lakh acres in drought-prone Rayalaseema. Reddy noted that the project requires the acquisition of 54,000 acres, including 15,300 acres of forest land, and has already been returned by the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Ministry of Environment due to unresolved concerns. Calling the PBLP a potential 'white elephant,' Reddy proposed the Four Waters Concept as a viable alternative. Developed during the Water Conservation Mission launched by Naidu in 2000, the FWC integrates rainwater, surface water, soil moisture, and groundwater to ensure year-round irrigation. It was successfully implemented in over 200 villages across Telangana and Rayalaseema, delivering water for three crops annually at a cost of just Rs 5,000 per acre. Reddy cited the success of the model in Rajasthan under the Mukhyamantri Jal Swavalamban Abhiyan (MJSA), where groundwater levels rose significantly and 25 lakh trees were planted in a single campaign. He emphasized that the FWC requires no cement, contractors, or major infrastructure, relying instead on 10 earthworks and 4 vegetative works that can be executed by farmers themselves. Comparing costs, Reddy stated that the FWC could irrigate the same 30 lakh acres for just Rs 4,500 crore — a fraction of the PBLP's estimated cost. He also referenced a similar proposal made to Telangana CM Revanth Reddy regarding the Narayanpet–Kodangal Lift Scheme, which he said could be replaced with an FWC-based model at 1/50th the cost. 'I see you as a visionary and a class apart,' Reddy wrote, expressing confidence in Naidu's leadership and requesting a meeting in Amaravati to discuss the proposal further. He also shared that the Governor of Maharashtra has agreed to initiate a pilot FWC project in collaboration with agricultural universities, signaling growing national interest in the model. As he turns 76 this month, Reddy pledged to dedicate the rest of his life to advocating for the Four Waters Concept, calling it a transformative solution for India's water security and agricultural sustainability.
The Hindu
12-07-2025
- Business
- The Hindu
Environment Ministry exempts 78% of coal plants from installing key anti-polluting systems
The Environment Ministry has exempted the majority of India's thermal power plants from installing flue gas desulphurisation (FGD) systems, which are designed to cut sulphur dioxide (SO 2 ) emissions. Flue gas, a residue from thermal power plants, emits SO 2 , which can mix in the atmosphere and create secondary particulate matter. These are linked to air pollution. There are about 180 thermal power plants in India. A single plant can have multiple units. Now on, only about 11% of India's 600 thermal power plant (TPP) units have to mandatorily install FGD systems. These plants, called 'Category A', are the ones located within 10 km radius of the National Capital Region or are cities with a population of at least a million (2011 Census). Originally, these plants were to have put in place FGD systems by 2017 but have been given multiple extensions to comply. The latest – as per a gazette notification this week – is December 30, 2027. Another 11% of TPPs, called Category B – located within 10 km radius of critically polluted areas (CPA) or non-attainment cities (NAC) – may or may not have to install FGD. This would depend upon a decision by a committee of experts (Expert Appraisal Committee) – an existing body constituted by the Environment Ministry that grants environment clearances to proposed coal plant projects. Category B plants that comply with the EAC norms have a deadline of December 30, 2028, to install the FGD. CPA are regions or industrial clusters that are extremely polluted and deemed so according to a specified criteria by the Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB). NAC – there are 131 of them – are those that have the worst air quality and haven't met the National Ambient Air Quality Standards (NAAQS) for at least five years. The remaining 78% of thermal power plants , or 'Category C', and are now exempt from installing FGD. The updated rules regarding the installation of FGD are exactly in line with the recommendations of an expert committee constituted by Principal Science Adviser Ajay Sood this April. The Hindu had reported on this. Several hurdles Last month, Power Minister Manohar Lal Khattar said the Central Pollution Control Board was examining this committee's recommendations and would be taking a call on the future of FGD. Only about 8% of India's TPPs have installed FGD units. The limited number of vendors capable of installing such equipment in India, the high installation costs, the potential rise in electricity bills, and disruptions due to the COVID-19 pandemic have been some of the reasons historically cited by the Power Ministry, the overseer of India's TPPs, for the plants' inability to adhere to previous deadlines. In theory, the costs of non-compliance could run to crores of rupees in fines, though these have not materialised thanks to deadline extensions. The guiding principles behind the committee's recommendations were: SO 2 levels in ambient air across the country are around 10-20 micrograms/cubic metre, well below India's air quality norms of 80; Indian coal is low in sulphur; SO 2 levels in cities near plants with operational FGD units do not differ significantly from those without these units, and all of these were anyway well below permissible levels. The committee had said that the concerns about sulphates – a potential by-product when SO 2 emissions reach certain atmospheric levels, thus forming particulate matter (PM) – are unfounded. They cited an analysis of 5,792 PM samples across the country, which found 'low elemental sulphur' content (max 8 micrograms/m3 after outlier removal), which was deemed 'insignificant — for considering PM removal as a benefit of FGD'. 'The CPCB and MoEFCC (Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change) should have carried out a more diligent benefit cost assessment of the retrofit for SOX control. With nearly 15% of India's ambient PM2.5 attributable to the combustion of coal, this latest notification is a short-sighted one that is not founded in the science of how and where PM2.5 forms, especially from large stacks,' Kartik Ganesan, an expert on energy and environment, at the Council on Energy, Environment and Water (CEEW), a think tank, told The Hindu. Manoj Kumar, who has researched the FGD's impact at the Centre for Research and Energy on Clean Air, criticised the decision. 'Power plants are known to impact areas 200 kilometres away from their location. Thus, they are a source of transboundary pollution, regardless of the category they fall into. Additionally, using tall chimneys is not an effective pollution-control measure; it merely disperses sulfur dioxide higher into the atmosphere, where it eventually forms toxic fine particles. This decision will affect millions of lives in India by increasing the risk of lung and heart diseases,' he told The Hindu.
New Indian Express
03-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
Andhra takes up measures to get project clearance for Polavaram-Banakacherla
VIJAYAWADA: In the wake of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) returning the Polavaram-Banakacherla Link Project (PBLP) proposal, the Andhra Pradesh government is undertaking a series of proactive measures to obtain project clearance. The authorities were of the opinion that the proposal, which sought only the Terms of Reference (ToR), was unjustly returned, as it was not requesting final approval but merely a framework for further evaluation. It is learnt that the Water Resources Department had already submitted the proposal of PBLP to the Central Water Commission (CWC) even before the EAC had recommended it, while returning the proposal to the State. The EAC instructed AP to resolve interstate disputes and secure CWC clearance before resubmitting. Unresolved submergence concerns in Odisha and Chhattisgarh tied to the Polavaram project, which are still under judicial review. Sources in the government disclosed that the State is actively engaging with the Central government to reverse the EAC's decision while simultaneously working to resolve differences with Telangana to clear obstacles for PBLP. The project aims to divert 200 TMC of Godavari floodwater to irrigate 7.41 lakh acres, stabilise 22.58 lakh acres in Rayalaseema and south coastal districts, and supply industrial water.
New Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
MoEF returning Andhra Pradesh's G-B proposal a huge victory for Telangana, says Uttam
HYDERABAD: Irrigation Minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy on Tuesday described the decision of the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change to return a proposal by Andhra Pradesh on the Banakacherla link project as a 'huge victory for Telangana'. Uttam made a detailed PowerPoint presentation on 'The Water Issues of Telangana in Godavari and Krishna River Basins' at Praja Bhavan on Tuesday. During his presentation, he said that the Congress government will not compromise on Telangana's rightful share of waters in the Godavari and Krishna rivers. He said the previous BRS regime had mortgaged Telangana's interests and allowed Andhra Pradesh to push ahead with schemes like the Godavari-Banakacherla (G-B) link project because of its 'compromised approach'. The Irrigation minister further said that the Congress government cited multiple legal violations, including disregard for the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT) award, which allocated flood and surplus waters among co-basin states. He pointed out that the Environmental Clearance (EC) for Polavaram was granted in 2005 for a different project scope, and any large-scale diversion like the G-B project would require fresh environmental assessment under EIA rules. 'We made it crystal clear — Telangana will not allow its hard-earned and historically legitimate rights to be usurped,' he said.
New Indian Express
02-07-2025
- Politics
- New Indian Express
EAC's Banakacherla rejection just comma, not full stop: CM Revanth Reddy
HYDERABAD: Chief Minister A Revanth Reddy on Tuesday described the Expert Appraisal Committee's (EAC) rejection of the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project proposal as a temporary setback for Andhra Pradesh, stating, 'It's a comma, not a full stop.' He said that Andhra Pradesh will resubmit the proposal with clarifications to address EAC's concerns because Prime Minister Narendra Modi's survival depends on Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, whose own survival hinges on the Godavari-Banakacherla Link Project. 'They are political linkages like rivers linkage,' he remarked. Revanth Reddy accused former chief minister K Chandrasekhar Rao and BRS MLA T Harish Rao of betraying Telangana's interests in the allocation of Godavari and Krishna river waters. He alleged that KCR agreed to a reduced water share, effectively 'mortgaging' Telangana's rights. He claimed that Telangana, with 68% of the Krishna river's catchment area, should have received 555 tmcft of water as per international water laws, but the BRS government settled for only 299 tmcft, which the state never fully utilised, peaking at 220 tmcft due to incomplete projects. On the Godavari, the chief minister said that of the 1,486 tmcft water available, Telangana was allocated 968 tmcft and Andhra Pradesh 518 tmcft. He slammed KCR for redesigning the Congress-initiated Pranahita-Chevella project into the Kaleshwaram project, escalating costs from Rs 38,000 crore to Rs 1.5 lakh crore, with only 168 tmcft of water having been lifted so far. He also pointed out that in 2016, KCR claimed 3,000 tmcft of Godavari water was going waste, prompting Andhra Pradesh to plan the diversion of 400 tmcft to the Penna basin.
