A tunnel in the heart of India's largest tiger reserve
Dear Sri Jairam Ramesh,A 44 km long tunnel is under construction, which passes through India's largest (3568 sq.km) tiger reserve called the Nagarjuna Sagar-Srisailam Wildlife Sanctuary, to provide water for irrigation and drinking to Nalgonda district in the state of Andhra Pradesh in India, endangering wildlife and also the entire bio-system of the area.Clearence for the project was given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, government of India with many conditions to be followed, to minimise damage and disturbance to wildlife. But, the contractors have violated all most all the important conditions and going ahead with the work unhindered.I request you to order immediate stoppage of all works of the project and conduct a review before allowing them to start the work again.
Sincerely,
ToMr. Jairam RameshMinister of State for Environment & ForestsGovernment of IndiaC-1/9. Lodi GardensRajesh Pilot MargNew Delhi - 110 003.Sir,We the undersigned seek you intervention to stop and review the work in progress on the SLBC-AMR 2 Tunnel Project which is underway in the Nagarjunasagar-Srisailam Wildlife Sanctuary. The Project executioners M/S Jaiprakash Associates and the Irrigation department of the Government of Andhra Pradesh have violated most of the conditiones imposed by your ministry. Permission was granted vide reference No.8-73/93-EC dated 21-04-1994 of MoEF,New Delhi & No.J. 11016/13/85-IA.1 dated 22-04-1994 of MoEF,New Delhi.We are giving here below some of the violations committed.1. Monitoring of noise levels was not done as sitpulated. There is mechanism/mechinery present at the work spot.2. Vegetation on an entire hill slope has been cleared and roads laid to reach the inlet portal of the tunnel eventhough the existing roads and water ways are sufficient to reach the spot, and a pucca building was constructed on top of the hill to house their office. Clearing of vegetation, laying of roads and construction of office buildings was forbidden as per the permissions granted.3. All the rubble generated out drilling the borehole has been dumped on the banks of the Srisailam reservior eventhough they are permitted to dump any over burden with in the limits of the Sanctuary.4. There is no mechinery/mechanism present at the work spot to monitor noise levels. It is specified that surface noise levels should not be more than 55 Db (A).There are many other conditions to be followed, but no concern is shown neither by the concerned government departments nor the implementing agency.Therefore we request you to order immediate stoppage of all works and conduct a review.Thanking you.Yours sincerely
