Ratnagiri, May 8: The mango growers of Ratnagiri have reasons to cheer. Their persistent protests against thermal power plants in the region finally paid off last month. After a year’s battle in the Bombay High Court and several morchas and dharnas later, the Ministry of Environment and Forests’ decision to stall the expansion of the JSW Energy plant at Jaigad, Ratnagiri, has come as a relief. The court has also ordered a study of the impact of power plant on mango and cashew plantation.

“The decision by the MoEF is a small victory for us and will strengthen our stand in the High Court,” said Dr Vivek Bhide, president of the Ratnagiri Zilla Jagruk Manch, who with the help of other mango cultivators and villagers filed a PIL in the Bombay High Court.

“We have been saying from the very beginning that Ratnagiri is an ecologically fragile district and therefore no thermal project using coal should be allowed here. The area is not at all suitable for coal burning. We are happy that the MoEF has given a thought to our demands. The order is very clear that it will be premature to give permission for expansion of the existing plan until its impact is studied on the alphonso mango and cashew cultivation,” he said. The MOEF’s expert appraisal committee on thermal power and coal mine projects met between April 8-10 to determine the Terms of Reference (TOR) for undertaking a detailed environment and impact assessment study to grant environmental clearance for the expansion of 3,200 MW in addition to the existing 1,200 MW.

However, it refused to grant environmental clearance unless a study on the impact of power plant on Alphonso mangoes and cashew plantation in the district is complete. The committee said Konkan Krishi Vidyapeeth in Dapoli has been commissioned to study the impact.

“Since the study will take at least four years, it would be premature to take any decision regarding the further expansion of the just sanctioned power project. The Committee has, therefore, declined to prescribe TOR,” it said.

“We wish that the MoEF had intervened while the plant was being set up. But the decision is a small relief as it will be official on what impact the power plants have on mango and cashew plantation. It will prove if or not we were right in opposing the power plants,” said Amar Desai of Desai Bandu Ambewale of Pawas. Surendra Dewlekar, a mango grower, said it was a positive sign that the MOEF has finally paid heed to the problems of mango cultivators.

“We have already seen the affects of power plants on fruits in Dahanu region of Thane. By expanding the power plants, the ecology of Konkan region will be completely damaged. The fly ash will not only have an impact on fruits —Alphonso and cashew — but also on the marine life and fishes,” he said.

The 1,200 MW sanctioned project at Jaigarh (Nandivde) has already attracted opposition from locals who have moved the Bombay High Court against the construction as fly ash from thermal power plants can affect mango and cashew flowering.

The expansion of the plant has been approved by the state Government and accordingly for environmental clearance the proposal was discussed by MoEF.

“From the beginning we feel that power projects should be set up in drought struck areas where the land is not irrigated or barren as there will be no impact of fly ash. We are hopeful that the MoEF will realise this soon,” Dewlekar added.

Ratnagiri district which has been declared a horticultural zone by the state has 2.75 lakh hectares of land available under cultivation. Out of this, over 63,000 hectare is under mango cultivation. Apart from the JSW Energy limited, the state Government has proposed 43 MW captive power project of Finolex Industries Limited at Pawas (Rantal) and 1,600 MW Dhopave Coastal Power Limited next to Dabhol’s Ratnagiri Gas and Power Private limited. This has irked both the mango cultivators as well the fishing community as apart from affecting the pollination of mangoes and cashew, release of the emission of effluents will also affect the marine life.

However, Joint Managing Director and CEO of JSW Energy S S Rao said the company is confident of getting approval from MoEF and does not consider the committee views as a setback for the expansion plan.

“The committee’s response is in a preliminary stage. It is only an observation by the committee and it is a part of process. We will communicate with the MOEF and give presentation. We are positive about the expansion plans and will pursue its sanction,” he said.