Loktak Hydro Power Project : No environment assessment was done, says PFA
Source: The Sangai Express
Imphal, December 13 2023:
The People for Animals (PFA), Manipur has claimed that no environment impact assessment was done nor any mitigation cost given to the State Government at the time of constructing Loktak Hydro Power Project.
The PFA made the claim after getting an RTI response from National Hydroelectric Power Project Company Limited (NHPCL) which runs the Loktak Project.
Loktak Hydro Power Project was commissioned on June 1, 1983 .
In a statement, PFA said that its managing trustee L Biswajeet Meitei filed a virtual RTI to NHPCL after getting information about the initiative taken up to renovate and modernise Loktak Project to continue the same for 25 more years.
Four questions were asked in the RTI seeking response from NHPCL to ascertain whether NHPC had consulted the Loktak Development Authority or any relevant authorities for modernising and renovating the Loktak Power Project and whether environment impact assessment was done before the Loktak Power Project was commissioned and any mitigation cost given to the State Government, PFA added.
PFA attached a copy of the RTI response received from NHPCL while forwarding the press statement to the media.
In the RTI response on whether NHPCL consulted LDA or relevant authorities for renovation and modernisation of Loktak project, NHPCL responded that the query doesn't qualify as information under the provision of Section 2 (f) of the RTI Act, 2005 .
"No information available.
Under the provision of RTI Act, 2005, only such information as is available and existing and held by the public authority or is under control of the public authority can be provided.
Similarly, queries, grievances, justifications, clarification, reason for non-compliance of rules/contesting the actions of the public authority are outside the purview of the Act.
Therefore, the query you sought does not qualify as information under the provisions of Section 2 (f) of the RTI Act, 2005 ," the response of NHPCL read.
On environmental impact assessment, the NHPCL replied that the Loktak Power Station was commissioned in 1983 much before EIA notification came into existence and thus environmental impact assessment and environmental clearance from MoEF&CC were not required.
To the query which asked whether NHPCL carried out State or National level environmental impact assessment to renovate and modernise Loktak Project, the Company responded that the approval for renovation and modernisation has been accorded by the Central Electricity Commission, New Delhi in accordance with their guidelines.