Bombay HC issues notice to power project in Western Ghats region

Bombay High Court

The Bombay High Court bench in Goa on Monday issued notice to the Goa government in connection with an electricity sub- station proposed in a protected forest reserve in South Goa, while hearing a public interest litigation filed by a green NGO.

The notice was issued by Justices Mahesh Sonak and M.S. Jawalkar, in connection with the petition filed by Goa Foundation, which has prayed for setting aside government clearances granted to the High Tension Line (HTL) power project and building of a sub-station in South Goa's Dharbandora area, which requires the felling of 2,670 trees in a protected forest area, located in and around Mollem village.

The PIL has alleged that heavy earthmoving machinery had been moved to the site and that several workers were involved in clearing of the area and removal of mud, even as the counsel for the power firm Goa-Tanmar Transmission Project said that "there is no development or construction work being carried out" at the site.

Nearly 50,000 trees located in the Western Ghats region of Goa are slotted for felling to make way for multiple central government projects, which include expansion of railway lines and highways and drawing of a new high tension power line, spread across protected forests in and around Mollem village, located in the Western Ghats region.

The projects have already been cleared by the National Wildlife Board in April this year.

The electricity project is aimed at drawing 400 KVA power lines from Karnataka and construction of a sub-station, which will connect the Southern and Western power grids and is expected to enhance power quality in Goa.

The Opposition as well as civil society groups and tourism stakeholders bodies have expressed apprehension that the projects were being pushed at an "express pace" to facilitate movement of coal imported through the Mormugao Port Trust facility in Goa to steel mills in Karnataka's Bellary district and nearby areas.

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