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New Indian Express
17 hours ago
- 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.
Hindustan Times
2 days ago
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Panel under Central ministry returns Andhra's ₹82k Cr Banakacherla project proposal
Hyderabad, A committee under the Union Ministry of Environment had decided to return a proposal by Andhra Pradesh on the Polavaram-Banakacherla link project, saying that the state government should comprehensively assess the availability of floodwaters in consultation with the Central Water Commission. Panel under Central ministry returns Andhra's ₹ 82k Cr Banakacherla project proposal In the Minutes of the meeting held on June 17, the Expert Appraisal Committee noted that several representations have been received via email, alleging that the proposed scheme may be in violation of the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal Award, 1980. 'In view of this, it is imperative that the project proponent should approach the Central Water Commission for examining the inter-state issues and granting necessary clearance/permission before submitting the proposal for framing the Terms of Reference for conducting an Environmental Impact Assessment. The EAC decided to return the proposal on the above lines,' the minutes said. The Andhra Pradesh Government proposes to formulate a scheme for the transfer of flood waters from Polavaram Dam to Banakacherla Regulator on Srisailam Right Main Canal through a link canal to utilize flood waters. However, the Telangana government has been opposing the project tooth and nail, saying that the project is against the interests of the state. They even approached the Centre to stall the proposed project. The project is expected to provide drinking water to about 80 lakh people, irrigation to a new ayacut of about three lakh hectares, supplementation to about 9.14 Lakh hectares, and provide 20 TMC feet of water to industries. The preliminary cost of the project is estimated at ₹ 81,900 crores at 2025-26 price level. Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu had earlier said the Banakacherla project is aimed at taking surplus Godavari waters to the drought-hit regions of Andhra. Naidu had highlighted that Telangana need not worry as only excess water from the Godavari river will be utilised, which otherwise would drain into the sea. This article was generated from an automated news agency feed without modifications to text.
New Indian Express
2 days ago
- Politics
- New Indian Express
BRS MLA Harish welcomes EAC's decision on Banakacherla
HYDERABAD: BRS MLA and former Irrigation minister T Harish Rao welcomed the decision of the Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment, which decided to 'return' the Andhra Pradesh government's request for Terms of Reference (ToR) for the proposed Godavari-Banakacherla Project. Harish Rao on Monday also welcomed the decision of the EAC that the ToR could be not given without examination by the Central Water Commission (CWC) and the Godavari Water Disputes Tribunal (GWDT). 'This is a victory for the BRS party's struggle and a victory for the people of Telangana. This is a strong blow to Andhra Pradesh's conspiracy to illegally divert Telangana's Godavari waters under the name of the Banakacherla project. We want to make it clear that the BRS will continue its fight until the Banakacherla project-designed in a way that causes injustice to Telangana's rightful share of water is completely scrapped,' Harish Rao said.
India Gazette
3 days ago
- General
- India Gazette
Centre issues Model Rules to States, UTs to aid ease of doing business in agroforestry
New Delhi [India], June 29 (ANI): The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued the 'Model Rules for Felling of Trees in Agricultural Lands', with the objective of supporting States and Union Territories in simplifying regulatory frameworks and promoting agroforestry. Agroforestry offers multiple benefits, including enhancing rural livelihoods, improving soil health, conserving biodiversity, increasing tree cover, water conservation, contributing to climate resilience, and reducing pressure on natural forests. According to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, the Model Rules aim to establish a streamlined regulatory framework by providing simplified procedures for registering agroforestry lands and managing tree harvesting and transit. The initiative is expected to encourage greater participation and open up opportunities for farmers and other stakeholders to adopt agroforestry practices. The model rules are designed to support the ease of doing business for those involved in tree-based farming systems. By promoting domestic timber production through agroforestry, the approach seeks to close the demand-supply gap, support wood-based industries with locally sourced raw materials and boost exports. The State Level Committee established under the Wood-Based Industries (Establishment and Regulation) Guidelines, 2016, will also be responsible for implementing these model rules. Its role will be to guide the States and Union Territories on promoting agroforestry and enhancing timber production from farmlands by easing regulations related to tree harvesting and timber transportation, particularly for commercially valuable species. The committee will empanel agencies for verifying applications for the felling of trees from agricultural lands. As per the model rules, applicants are required to register their plantations on the National Timber Management System (NTMS) portal, which is being developed. This involves submitting basic plantation data, including land ownership information, location of the farm with a KML file, species, plantation period, etc. The applicants can periodically update the plantation information and upload geotagged photos of the plantation to ensure traceability. Applicants wishing to harvest trees from registered plantations can apply online through the National Timber Management System, providing specific details of the trees intended for felling. Verifying agencies will carry out site inspections, and based on their verification reports, tree felling permits will be issued for agricultural lands. The Divisional Forest Officers will oversee the performance of these agencies through periodic supervision and monitoring. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change have requested States and UTs to examine the model rules and consider their adoption in order to enhance the ease of doing business in agroforestry and incentivise farmers to integrate trees into their farming systems without facing undue procedural hurdles.(ANI)
The Hindu
3 days ago
- General
- The Hindu
Kerala to seek sterilisation of Bonnet macaque near forests
Mass sterilisation of the Bonnet macaque, a widely seen primate species, may be undertaken in Kerala as part of measures to control its population. The Kerala Forest Department will shortly approach the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests, and Climate Change seeking permission to carry out sterilisation of the species endemic to South India. Farmers and people living in forest fringes have complained about crop loss caused by the troops of monkeys. The animals, according to farmers, damage a wide variety of crops, including coconuts and agricultural crops. The presence of the species has been reported in almost all the eco-tourism centres of the State. The department had drawn up a 'Mission Bonnet macaque' as part of a 10-point programme to reduce instances of human-wildlife conflicts. The sterilisation programme, along with other initiatives, is part of the mission, said Pramod G. Krishnan, Chief Wildlife Warden (CWW), Kerala. After wild pigs, the Bonnet macaque is the second species for which population-control measures are being proposed. Though wild pigs are being culled, there are no plans to cull the monkeys. The proposal is to sterilise the troops in specific locations and release them back into their territories. The sterilised animals will be sheltered for some time for the healing of their wounds. The State had earlier made some isolated attempts to sterilise the monkeys, said Mr. Krishnan. The project requires the permission of the Union Ministry since the species is included in Schedule I of the Wildlife Protection Act. The species is included in Schedule 1, considering the fall in their overall population. Besides sterilisation, the department plans to implement waste management programmes in eco-tourism centres where these animals feed on leftover food. The practice of visitors feeding the animals will be thoroughly discouraged, he said. The International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) has included the species in the 'vulnerable' category considering its declining population. Studies indicate that the species faces serious population decline, even up to 65%, in some parts of its distribution range. Hunting, persecution, removal of native avenue trees, feeding by humans, and displacement by Rhesus macaques in the northern parts of the range are believed to have contributed to the decline. The presence of the species has been recorded in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Karnataka, Kerala, Maharashtra, Tamil Nadu and Gujarat, according to the IUCN assessment. Incidentally, the Ministry had earlier shot down the proposal of the State government to classify wild pigs as vermin.
