A private power generation company has threatened officials of the forest department in Sakleshpur taluk for taking action against the company for violations in the Kagneri and Kenchankumari reserved forests.
Maruthi Power Gen (India) Private Limited was permitted to implement two mini-hydel projects of 19 MW and 18.9 MW by diverting forest land of 4.2 hectares and 4.18 hectares.
According to the locals, on paper the project has been split into two to misguide the officials, so that the company can avoid scrutiny by the Centre as any diversion of forest land above five hectares will need permission from the Centre. However, on the ground it is implementing only one project on nearly nine hectares of land. The local forest officers had booked a case against this violation.
They also found other violations such as encroachment of forest land, illegal widening of roads in forests, disposal of debris in forests, affecting flora and fauna by dumping debris in the river and construction of permanent quarters for labourers.
The forest officials booked a forest offence case (no.FOC82/2011-12) on October 21, 2011, as the project was found violating Forest Conservation Act, 1980 and Karnataka Forest Act, 1963. The work has been stopped due to these violations.
A Public Interest Litigation is also being heard in the High Court of Karnataka against
this project. On April, 18, 2011, the court allowed the continuation of construction of the project, based on the false claim by the company that it had completed 70 per cent of the work, while it had completed only about 25 per cent of the work.
Though the court order does not permit the company to carry out work by violating the law, the project proponents, through a letter dated December 16, 2011, are threatening the forest officials with the court order.
“The High Court had stated that the work should not stop, but the project implementation is bound by the final order of the court and the High Court order is not related to the violation. The company is threatening the RFO as he has booked it for violation,” said a wildlife expert.