Committee to monitor Sikkim environment

In a bid to allay environmental concerns surrounding Sikkim's hydro projects, the state government is in the process of setting up a committee to monitor the environmental aspects.

"We are in the process of formulating a committee at the state level comprising environmentalists, local NGOs and district authorities," said P Wangchen, principal secretary, Energy and Power Department, government of Sikkim.

According to him each project is passed by the Ministry of Environment & Forests (MoEF), which oversees all environmental matters in the country and is a permanent member of the Executive Committee of the National Economic Council.

"The state level committee would basically look after if the MoEF stipulations are followed by the project developers," he added.

In addition to this, the state government has also roped in a Delhi- based consultancy firm Feedback Ventures for developing a software for an effective monitoring of the project sites.

"They would develop a software for project management plans and monitoring the project sites," Wangchen told Business Standard.

Commenting on the seven hydel power projects in the Dzongu area, north of the state, which witnessed a mass protest by the local people, the power secretary said that the projects would go on but there there had been some alteration of plans regarding the proposed colony at the project site.

"No colony would be set up in the restricted area and the labourers would be transported by buses," he explained.

There has been huge protests in the Dzongu area of the northern Sikkim site for seven hydel power projects. The region falls under the Lepcha tribal reserved area and is considered sacred by the community.

Out of the total 22 mega projects lined up for the 11th Plan, construction works for only two projects have started and the rest have not yet seen the light of the day, primarily due to the protests over the environmental issues.

Overall the Sikkim government is planning 31 new hydel power projects, with a total capacity of 4,489MW, and these projects would be commissioned by the end of 11th Five Year Plan.

This includes nine small projects with a total capacity of 59MW and 22 mega projects with a total capacity of 4430MW and the total estimated cost for these projects is around Rs 25,500 crore.