After a meeting with Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh,the activists of Renuka Bandh Jan Sangharsh Samiti have claimed that they had been assured by the minister that the project was not likely to see the light of day,in view of the magnitude of loss to environment. The samiti has been opposing the project tooth and nail for faulty relief and rehabilitation process and environmental concerns. In a statement issued on Wednesday,samiti convenor Yogender Kapila said: The minister listened to our side of the story and assured that forest clearance would not be granted to the project. The activists are staging a protest at Jantar Mantar in New Delhi,along with the Himalaya Neeti Abhiyaan. The state government had already toughened its stand on the project earlier this week,after Chief Minister Prem Kumar Dhumals recent meeting with Ramesh. The Union ministry has put the project on hold,rejecting the proposal for diversion of forest land. The Himachal Pradesh Power Corporation Limited (HPPCL),which is executing the project,however,is still in the process of revamping the proposal to apply afresh for forest diversion permission. The HPPCL is trying to reduce the number of trees to be submerged. HPPCL Managing Director Tarun Kapoor said: During our recent meeting with Jairam Ramesh,we did not get any hint that the project would not get any further forest clearance at all. Instead,we were asked to re-frame the proposal to reduce losses. The number of total trees,shrubs,saplings and other wild vegetation to be submerged was 1.7 lakh,according to the earlier plan. Now,we are working on a proposal as per which only 7,500 trees will be felled. Though the height of the dam will not be lowered,we will save trees on the periphery of the reservoir as the water level will not be allowed to rise beyond a certain level.
