PANAJI
The National Board of Wildlife (NBW) has granted its green signal to Goa government's proposal for use of 27.092 ha of forest land from Bhagwan Mahaveer Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary for the Tamnar Power Transmission project.
The NBW standing committee chaired by Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Bhupender Yadav recommended the diversion of forest land subject to certain condition.
Following clearance from State Wildlife Board in November, last year, Goa government put forth a proposal for use of 27.092 ha of forest land from Bhagwan Mahaveer Mollem Wildlife Sanctuary for LILO of one ckt of Narendra (existing) – Narendra(New)400 kV D/C quad transmission line.
The NBWL while granting green nod has asked the project proponent to study the impact of the transmission lines on biodiversity/ wildlife and several precautionary measures for protection of wildlife and environment.
However the project work cannot commence unless the project proposal on the Karnataka side is recommended by the Standing Committee of the NBWL, the committee clarified.
The power transmission project envisaged laying a 400 KV transmission line from Sangod in Goa to the Karnataka border to help meet Goa’s peak electricity demand of 1192 MW. However, the project was met with intense opposition and same was settled after the Supreme Court granted relief to the project proponent.
The Supreme Court last year had accepted the recommendation of the Centrally Empowered Committee (CEC) appointed by it to utilise the existing 220 KV powerline alignment in Goa, instead of cutting down fresh forest cover, to lay a new 400 KV line as part of the project.
