Karnataka Energy Minister D.K. Shivakumar has said he “forced” the Cabinet subcommittee, bringing out a report on the State’s response to the Kasturirangan Report on the conservation of the Western Ghats, to exclude hydel projects from banned projects in eco-sensitive areas (ESAs).
The subcommittee report, which will catalogue the State’s reaction to the Kasturirangan Report, is expected to be submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests by the month-end.
Hydroelectric projects
Though the Kasturirangan report had suggested a stricter regime of clearances for hydroelectric projects within the ESAs, Mr. Shivakumar, who is a member of the Cabinet subcommittee, told investors at the Green Summit 2015 here on Thursday that he had ensured “few regulations” for dams within the ESAs.
The Minister said the State had cancelled the allocation of land to promoters of projects expected to generate nearly 3,500 MW of wind energy and more projects would be scrapped soon.
He said the cancellations were necessary as land allotted for the projects had remained idle.
Out of projects expected to generate 12,500 MW of wind energy, projects expected to generate 3,500 MW had been scrapped. Currently, the State generates 2,600 MW of wind energy.
“We have sent show-cause notices to the promoters of other projects that have failed to start… The State wants to show that only those who want to be in the wind energy business will be allotted land, and not those who may trade land allotted to them,” he said. A recent report by the National Institute of Solar Energy estimated the State to have the potential to generate nearly 24.7 GW of solar electricity.
Chief Minister Siddaramaiah said the State was in talks with 10 countries, including Sweden and Poland, to pool in research and technology in the field of solar energy.
