1. The Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) proposes to construct a Hydroelectric Project across the river Kunthi at Pathrakadavu approximately 500 m from the southern border of the Silent Valley National Park

 

2. The project aims at generating 70 MW of power. The cost of the project is approximately Rs. 247.06 crores (1999 estimate) which has now been revised to approximately Rs. 420.00 crores.

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)

 

3. The Environmental Resources Research Centre, Thiruvananthapuram has done EIA of the project.

 

4. The report contains the result of a Rapid EIA, and a comprehensive EIA is in progress.

 

5. The EIA has tried to cover various aspects of the projects such as geology, soil, land use, seismicity, hydrology, water quality, aquatic biology, socio economics and cultural environment, impacts on land, water and air, impact on human environment and attempted to give an environment management plan based on inter-alia calculating the labour force to be employed for the project, waste water treatment, facility for disposal of solid waste.

 

6. Based on five-months study, the EIA has listed the major floristic and faunistic elements in the project area.

 

7. There are, as per the report , 381 species of flowering plants, out of which 55 are endemic and seven are rare according to the IUCN category.

 

8. The EIA reports the occurrence of the following:

9. The mammals include 13 endangered and one endemic species. Among them the most highly endangered is the Lion-tailed Macaque.

 

10. The report is not certain whether the Lion-tailed Mecaque is resident in the project area or is it an occasional visitor from the Silent Valley area. The team look forward to confirm it during the remaining part of the comprehensive EIA study.

 

11. Of the 79 species of birds, four are endemic.

 

12. Of the 14 species of amphibians, eight are endemic to Western Ghats.

 

13. Eighteen species of fishes have been recorded out of which 10 species were not reported in the Silent Valley.

 

14. Forty-three species of butterflies have been reported out of which 5 are protected species.

 

15. Under the impact assessment, the report says that there would be a loss of 22.16 ha of forests.

 

16. A total of 3500 trees belonging to 30 species having a GBH above 70 cm would be lost. However, there is no mention about the loss of trees below 70 cm GBH and also the loss of herbs, shrubs and aquatic plants.

 

17. The EIA highlights that laying of road to the dam site would make easy approach to the Silent Valley National Park. Currently, the major approach to the national park is only through Mukali. The new road for the project would therefore be disastrous for the protection of the Silent Valley National Park and hence the EIA suggests proper check posts at the dam site.

 

18. Under the economic impacts, the EIA feels the project is beneficial to the people, as laying the road would increase their transport facilities for better education, health care and even frequent visits to the kith and kin. It also says that price of the land will go up.

 

19. The report deals extensively on the ethnographic profile, dealing with the religion-wise composition of people, their olden and present life styles and the way the marriages are arranged in different groups!

 

20. Under the Environment Management programme, the report has elaborately dealt with water requirement of labourers, waste water treatment, facilities of disposal of solid waste etc and total cost for such facilities is estimated at Rs. 158.99 million (15.9 crore).

 

21. The total number of labour forces required is estimated at 1100 and their fuel requirement is estimated at 1 kg per day/per person working out to 400 tonnes per year.

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