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ANURADHA SHARMA LAKHOTIA
Siliguri, Feb. 4: The National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has set its eyes on generating power from the Stage III Teesta Low Dam Project (TLDP) at Rambhi, about 30 km from Siliguri, by 2008.
But in the hurry to meet the deadline, the power major and the government seem to have lost sight of the recommendations of the environment-management plan (EMP) prepared by North Bengal University (NBU).
In what green lobbyists say will cost the environment rather heavily, the NHPC and the forest department have completely ignored the work on the catchment areas of the Teesta. “Their obsession in completing the project has made them keep an important issue like treating catchments on the backburner,” an expert with NBU said.
According to the EMP, which had suggested a number of engineering, biological and bio-engineering measures (see map), the watershed treatment is needed to check siltation and soil erosion.
“Other than affecting the reservoir itself, the absence of watershed treatment will cause several invisible damages to the environment as well as to National Highway 31A (that connects Siliguri to Sikkim and Kalimpong). The road (see picture) is already in a bad shape owing to heavy movement of vehicles and equipment of the NHPC,” the source added. (more…)
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RAJEEV RAVIDAS
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The team inspects the water tank at Algarah.
Picture by Chinlop Fudong Lepcha |
Algarah/Kalimpong, Feb. 2: An inspection team today detected 91 illegal connections along a 14-km stretch of the Neora Water Supply pipelines between Algarah and Deolo reservoirs. According to the team’s calculations, the total loss of water between the two points is a whopping 6 lakh gallons — the exact daily requirement of the town.
Kalimpong, 19 km from Algarah, has been facing a severe water crisis this winter, with residents having to buy water from the markets for anything between Rs 300 to Rs 350 per 1,000 litres. Now, the authorities concerned must look for a solution when they meet on February 7 as a follow-up to today’s joint inspection by senior officials of Kalimpong Municipality, the army and the PHE department.
The inspection team walked the distance from Algarah to Upper Ecchey viewpoint, located below Deolo, aghast at the way villagers were stealing water, not for drinking purposes but to irrigate the fields.
“We must put an end to this. We will issue notices to the guilty and summon them to the subdivisional office,” said civic chief C.K. Kumai.
There remained an element of doubt though, expressed by an army official, about whether all the water loss was due to illegal tapping, because as much as 4.5 lakh gallon is lost between Sangshey and Deolo, a distance of just 4 km. However, the army official refused to elaborate on his observation.
