PANAJI
In a major boost to the long-pending Goa-Tamnar interstate power transmission project, the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has recommended granting wildlife clearance for the diversion of over 40 hectares of land in the buffer area of Karnataka's Kali Tiger Reserve, removing a key hurdle for the project.
During its meeting held in the first week of July, the committee approved the proposal for the use of 40.775 ha of land, including 32.026 hectares of forest land and 8.749 ha of non-forest land, for the loop-in loop-out (LILO) of one circuit of the existing Narendra–Narendra 400 kV double-circuit quad transmission line in Uttara Kannada district. The project will be executed by Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Ltd (GTTPL).
The committee has capped tree felling at 3,248 trees or less, significantly lower than the 10,810 trees originally proposed for the entire transmission project.
The proposed 400 kV double-circuit transmission line originates at Narendra in Dharwad district and terminates at a substation in Dharbandora, Goa. The project is aimed at strengthening the interstate power transmission network and improving the reliability of electricity supply to Goa.
While appraising the proposal, the Inspector General of Forest (Wildlife) informed the committee that the alignment had been planned by utilising the existing transmission corridor to the maximum extent possible and that diversion of forest land was unavoidable to meet technical and safety requirements. The user agency also stated that the forest land requirement had been restricted to the barest minimum.
The proposal had earlier been recommended by the Karnataka Chief Wildlife Warden, the State Board for Wildlife and the State Government. The National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA) also supported the project.
The clearance, however, comes with a series of stringent conditions aimed at minimising ecological damage in the tiger reserve landscape. The project proponent has been directed to demarcate the diversion area on the ground, assess the exact stretch falling within and outside the existing transmission corridor, and determine the precise number of trees to be felled in line with the Supreme Court's April 2022 directions.
It has also directed the agency to prepare a comprehensive Wildlife Mitigation Plan through the Wildlife Institute of India or another nationally reputed institution.
The mitigation measures include protecting wildlife movement corridors, installing signage, restricting all construction activity to daylight hours between 6 am and 6 pm, and ensuring no extraction of firewood or forest produce from the area. The project developer has also been encouraged to contribute towards the voluntary relocation of families from the Kali Tiger Reserve.
The project had remained stalled for more than two years after the Karnataka Forest Department opposed the proposal over its impact on forests and wildlife. Earlier this year, the Karnataka State Board for Wildlife cleared the proposal following a scientific assessment by the Wildlife Research and Training Centre, which recommended habitat restoration measures, canopy bridges, retention of natural canopy and special management of sensitive wildlife corridors to reduce the project's ecological impact.
Xeldem transmission line: GTTPL calls for objections, suggestions from public
PANAJI: Goa Tamnar Transmission Project Limited (GTTPL) has invited objections and suggestions from the public on the proposed alignment of the remaining Goa section of the Goa-Tamnar Power Transmission Project. The notice relates to the LILO of one circuit of the Narendra (existing)-Narendra (New) 400 kV double-circuit quad transmission line at Xeldem, the only pending component of the project in the State. GTTPL said that the alignment has been realigned in compliance with the Supreme Court's April 7, 2022 order and passes through Dharbandora and Mollem before entering Karnataka. GTTPL said members of the public can inspect the route alignment at the company's registered office and objections can be submitted within two months before it seeks powers under Section 164 of the Electricity Act, 2003.
