Site Inspection Report of Deputy Consenrator of Forests Item 7, Part II Form B The Karikayam Small Hydel Project in Pathanamthitta District envisages construction of 2lmhigh concrete Dam toe and a dam for power house with an installed capacity of 12MW. The total forest area required for the project is 4.93ha of which 4.41 ha falls under Vadasserikkara Range and 0.52 Ha falls in Ranni Range of this Division. Right side of the flow river is private holdings. An extent of 4.93 Ha of Forest land under Ranni Forest Division was leased out to M/s TECIL for their Karikkayam Small Hydroelectric Project vide GO {FIndia Conveyed its approval. Based on this Central Government approval, the State Government of Kerala accorded sanction under Section 2 of Forest (Conservation) Act 1980 for renewal of lease of 4.93 Ha of Forest land diverted for Karikkayam Small Hydro Electric Project for a period of 10 years from 28-12-2006 to 27-12-2016 in favour of M/s Ayyappa Hydro Electric Project subject to conditions mentioned in it . The demarcation of forest area (4.93Ha) has been done by erecting RCC Boundary pillars and hence the extent of forest land holding by the user agency is only 4.93 Ha. I have inspected the project site on 05.08.2017. At the project site, the diverted 4ALHa of forest land lies as a stretch of land along the left of bank of the Kakkad river. The right bank of the river Kakkad across which the Dam is constructed is private holding of Perunadu Rubber Estate. During the site inspection, it is seen that the tree growth within 0.52Ha area at Manakkayam under Ranni Range has been extracted during 2016 and tree growth from Karykkayam area has already been extracted during 2006. The area of forest land required for Dam is 0.87Ha and area of submersion will be 4.06. The original proposal was for a 12MW project with weir height 27M above riverbed and not a 15MW project as claimed by M/S Ayyappa Hydro Electric Power LTD. The total requirement as per the original proposal was as detailed below.

Private land 16Ha Forest land 4.93Ha Total 20.93Ha This includes dam and reservoir. On closer examination of the Reserve notification with relevant GT sheet it is found that the river falls within Kumaramperur Reserve and land on the right bank is private land' There is no violation of forest conservation Act or other forest laws in connection with the project, other than the utilization of the riverbed.

In the earlier approval granted, it was stipulated that compensatory afforestation over equivalent extent of non-forest land should be taken up at the cost of the user agency. Further the Government had imposed an additional condition that the user agency shall remit lease rent for the diverted forest land annually.

The original user agency M/S TECIL is seen to have transferred 7Ha of land in Sy. No.943/1 of Chittar Seethathodu village for compensatory afforestation on 22.03.96 in lieu of the 4.93Ha diverted for this project and the 1.82Ha diverted for the similar Ullumkal Hydro Electric Project also under this Division. This land has been notified as reserve forest as per GO(P)No.IB/98 dtd.03.03.1998. Thus it is seen that M/S TECIL had mutated 7Ha of land to the government when they had to transfer and mutate 6.75Ha towards the Combined Compensatory Afforestation requirement mentioned above. They have remitted the cost of Compensatory Afforestation for 6.75Ha also. After taking over the project from M/S TECIL, M/S EDCL had remitted all the part arrears of lease rent up to 31.03.2010 for 4.93Ha. They have also furnished an undertaking agreeing to pay any additional lease rent charged by the government oyer and above the

amount paid @Rs.1300/Ha with compound interest @12oh p.a. Hence it can be considered that the conditions imposed in the earlier approval are complied with. On verification of this oflice records, the details of CA requirement in this regard is seen complied as below. Forest land Project Alternate Cost of CA Alternate land Cost diverted land required (Rs) transferred Remitted Rs. Ullunkal 1.82Ha HEP l.82Ha 45500 45500 Karikayam HEP 4.93Ha 4.93Ha 723250 7Ha t23250 Total 6.7SHa 6.7SHa 7Ha

The user agency has directly remitted the fund for implementation of CAT plan amounting Rs.19760001- to Corporation Bank Account SB-01025214 CAF Kerala through RTGS mode of payment vide UTR No. YESBH - 14164002656. More over the user agency has directly remitted Net Present Value amounting Rs.514199O/- to Corporation Bank Account SB- 01025214 - CAF Kerala through RTGS mode of payment vide UTR No.YESBH - 14164002618. The user agency has informed that the above mentioned RTGS mode of payments were made on 73.06.2014. Necessary fund has not been allotted to Ranni Division in CAMpA for implementing the Catchment Area Treatment Plan. Tree growth in Karikkayam area ie 4.41 Ha was extracted during 2006 itself by the original user agency ie TECIL and the tree growth in Manakkayam area ie 0.52 Ha was not extracted. The original user agency M/s TECIL had transferred the project to M/s Ayyappa Hydro Power LTD and they have completed the lst stage of the project. The height of the Dam in 1st stage is 42.5mtr. The height of the Dam after the completion of IInd stage will be 49 mtr. Once the project is completed in 2nd stage, the 0.52 Ha area at Manakkayam will also submerged. As per condition No.15 in the lease deed executed on 24.04.2015 between Divisionat Forest Officer, Ranni and the Director, Ayyappa Hydro Power LTD, M/s Ayyappa Hydro Power LTD has agreed to extract and transport the timber and other forest produce from the said 0.52 Ha forest area at their cost as directed by the lessor. During the year 2QO6, the original user agency M/s TECIL had remitted, Rs.229205/- towards the seigniorage value of 115 trees stood in the 0.52 Ha area at Manakkayam. Due to the natural growth there were 245 Nos of different species of trees in that area. Permission has been got for felling trees after the remittance of seigniorage value of trees standing in the said land. Total seignorage value of 245 trees assessed is Rs,29O2221/-. Since M/s TECIL had remitted Rs.229205/- being the seigniorage value of 115 trees, remaining amount due from the firm is Rs.2673016/-. M/s Ayyappa Hydro Power LTD has remitted the said amount to the Sub Treasury, Ranni vide DD No.312437 of Federal Bank, Chittar dated: 15.02.2016 and the amount has been entered into Cash Book vide CB item No.52 dated: 12.O2.2016. The user agency has satisfactorily complied with all the conditions stipulated by the Government of India in Stage II approval. The renewal of lease is necessary for the continuation of the project and hence the proposal by M/S Ayyappa Hydro Power LTD may be considered favourably.

12 Division/ District profile Ranni (il Geographical area of the district 3186.323 Sq. km (iil Forest area of the district 1059.064 Sq. km (iii) Total forest area diverted since 1980 148.1114 Ha in 19 cases with number of cases (iv) Total compensatory Afforestation stipulated in the district/division since 1980 on (a) Forest land including Penal 20 Ha compensatory afforestation (b) Non-forest land 7Ha (") Progress of compensatory afforestation as on date (a) Forest land 37 Ha (b) Non-forest land. 7Ha

13. Specific recommendation of DCF- foe May be accepted. acceptance or other wise of the proposal with reason: The forest land in this case has been diverted for a Hydroelectric Project to M/s TECIL, the original user agency. But the same stands transferred to M/s Ayyappa Hydropower LTD under Government Sanction vide GO(MS) 14/2006/PD dated 22-5-2006. Now the change in the name of the user agency and transfer and renewal of lease hold rights in favour of the applicant user agency, M/s Ayyappa Hydropower LTD is sought. The proposal for the same by M/s Ayyappa Hydropower LTD may be accepted.

Signature : , G.I.I rocttut0llJlRAr F3 25.O8.20t7 Name: Forcct Officar Diviaionrl- -,, - __Rarml -,{r/" Ranni Official Seal :