Increase in water level in a dam of a private mini-hydroelectric project owned by Energy Development Corporation Ltd. (EDCL) at Karikkayam, near Chittar, is posing threat to 14 families residing in the vicinity of the dam.
Manakkayam-Pambini Bhoo Samara Samiti leaders C.A. Shajan, Sasidharan Nair, and Shabu said the disproportionate raising of the dam water level in the Kakkattar had submerged their property. They alleged that the company was acting in violation of a Kerala High Court order that it should not permit submergence of those lands not acquired for the dam.
Those affected in the Karikkayam, Manakkayam, and Pambini areas say the company is trying to raise the dam water level to 55 metres against its earlier stance that the maximum level will be 43 metres.
Mr. Shajan told The Hindu that they had submitted a request, along with a copy of the court order, to the District Collector seeking intervention to execute the court order (WPC No. 7790/2017, 17-3-2017) a month ago.
Abraham Daniel and Moozhickal Prakash from Manakkayam, along with their families, staged a day-long fast in front of the Collectorate on Monday raising the demand.
State nod
The State government had permitted the company, which launched the project in 1994, to acquire 59 acres and many sold their land at ₹7,000 to ₹25,000 a cent to the company.
However, at the talks held between the company and the local people later, on the initiative of the local MLA, it was decided that the price of land should be ₹30,000 a cent. An understanding was also reached that the company would pay the same rate to those who sold land at ₹7,000 a cent. But, the samiti leaders alleged that many families were yet to receive the balance amount.
Mr. Shajan said the company had also purchased land from the area at ₹1.2 lakh a cent.
Acquiring land at different rates for the project from the same area was not justifiable.
The samiti leaders alleged that the company had acquired 70 acres from 116 families, besides reaching an understanding to store water on the land belonging to the Forest Department and Harrison Malayalam Limited. They said the samiti would initiate contempt of court proceedings against the company and the district administration.
However, EDCL authorities were not available to explain their version.
The EDCL commissioned the 15 mw project utilising the tail race of the Sabarigiri project in February, 2009.
