F. No. 8-51/2017-FC Subject: Diversion of 234.00 ha of forest land for construction of 1000 MW Turga Pumped Storage Project of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) in Ajodya Hills under Purulia Forest Division. The State Government of West Bengal vide their letter No. 3340-For/O/L/10T-12/2017 dated 18.09.2017 submitted a proposal for diversion of 234.00 ha of forest land for construction of 1000 MW Turga Pumped Storage Project of West Bengal State Electricity Distribution Company Limited (WBSEDCL) in Ajodya Hills under Purulia Forest Division, Purulia Dist. West Bengal. 2. The facts related to the proposal as contained in the State Government’s letter dated 18.09.2017 are given below in the form of fact sheet: FACT SHEET 1. Name of the Proposal Diversion of 234.00 ha of forest land for construction of 1000 MW Turga Pumped Storage Project of WBSEDCL in Ajodya Hills under Purulia Forest Division, Purulia Dist. West Bengal. 2. Location (i) State West Bengal (ii) District Purulia 3. Particulars of Forests: (i) Name of Forest Division and Forest Purulia Forest Division, area involved. 234.00 ha (ii) Legal Status of Forest land Protected Forest (iii) Density of Vegetation Density : 0.3 Eco class : III (iv) Map SOI Toposheet - Pg-16/c 4. Brief note on Vulnerability of the forest Least vulnerable. area to erosion 5. Species-wise (scientific names and Species-wise (scientific names and diameter class- diameter class-wise enumeration of trees (to wise enumeration of trees are given and placed in be enclosed. In case of irrigation / hydel file at Pg. 100-103/c). Projects enumeration at FRL, & FRL-4 6816 trees are enumerated in the proposal. meter also to be enclosed. 6. Approximate distance of proposed site for 0.00 diversion from boundary of forest. 7. Details of wildlife present in an around the Elephant, Hyena, Wulf, Jackal, Bengal Fox etc. forest land proposed for diversion. 8. Whether forms part of National park, Yes (Elephant corridor). Wildlife Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Corridor, etc. (if so, A herd of 14 Nos. wild elephant occasionally details of the area and comments of the Chief migrate through the forest area from Ajodhya Wildlife Warden. hill forest to Jharkhand. However care has to be taken to avoid accidents of electrocution as elephants keep moving in the area. 9. Whether any RET species of flora and fauna Yes. are found in the area. If so details thereof 10. Whether the forest land proposed for lease is No located within eco-sensitive zone (ESZ) of the protected notified under wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972-Yes/NO If Yes then give details. 11. Whether any National Park, Wildlife Yes, Sanctuary, Biosphere Reserve, Tiger Reserve, Elephant Corridor, etc. is located This project area lies near Migrating route of within 1 Km. from boundary of the forest elephants. land proposed for diversion. details and comments on the impact of project on such areas. 12. Whether any protected archaeological/ No heritage site/defence establishment or any other important monuments is located in the area. 13. Whether any work of in violation of the No Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 has been carried out (Yes/No). If yes details of the same including period of work done, action taken on erring officials. Whether work in violation is still in progress. 14. Whether the requirement of forest land as Yes proposed by the user agency in col. 2 of Part- I is unavoidable and barest minimum for the project, if no recommended area item-wise with details of alternatives examined. 15. Compliance of Scheduled Tribe and Other The certificate on FRA has been given and placed Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of in file at pg. (Pg-23-35/c). However certificate is Forest Rights) Act, 2006 . not given in the prescribed format. 16. Period of diversion sought Nil 17. Employment to be generated i). Whether the Project is likely to generate Yes employment? (ii). Permanent/Regular Employment(Number of persons): 169 (iii). Temporary Employment(Number of 18,90,000 person-days): 18. Whether clearance under the Environment Not detail herewith. (protection) Act, 1986 is required? 19. Compensatory Afforestation (i) Details of non-forest area/degraded The CA scheme as given may kindly be seen at pg. forest area identified for CA, its distance 84-86/c. from adjoining forest, number of patches, sixe of each patches. In a letter dated 23.05.2017 (pg. 95/c) addressed (ii) Map showing non-forest/degraded to CCF Northern Circle, West Bengal, it is forest area identified for CA and mentioned that the joint inspection was under taken adjoining forest boundaries. on 13.04.2017 and the observation and inference are given below. (iii) Detailed CA scheme including species to be planted, implementing agency, a) The land is in riverine area along Tista time schedule, cost structure, etc. River bed, and is conducive for riverine (iv) Certificate from the competent authority species like Khair etc. However, the regarding suitability of the area plantation can only be done on the identified for CA and from management Northern side. The western side is point of view. suitable for only grassland. Hence the western part can be developed into a habitat for herbivorous species. b) The access is very difficult owing to the tributaries; therefore the regeneration cost will be very high. c) As such the area is a major part of Elephant corridor from Apalchand to Mahananda Wildlife Sanctuary. d) There exist some sign of encroachment, which is to be taken care of. In accordance with the aforementioned facts, the matter associated with the land, afforestation may be taken up there will some additional input and protection measure. It is further observed that DFO Kangaswati, South Division, Purulia vide his letter dated 18.08.2015 (pg. 38/c), DFO, Kangaswati, North Division, Purulia vide his letter dated 11.09.2015 (pg. 39/c), and DFO Baikunthapur Division, Siliguri vide his letter dated 05.06.2017 have given suitability certificate for CA. the details are as under: Sl. No. District Block/Ran ge Mouza Area Acres on 1. Purulia Manbaza Durku, 45.25 r-I & II Kelyardi, Dhanda 2. Purulia Punc Kuchung, 55.90 ha Dhabani & Hariharpur 3. Purulia Hura Mangura 84.42 Lalpur, Saharjuri, Madhabpu r, Tilaboni 4. Jalpaig Mal Targhera 392.65 uri Total 578.22 or 234 ha (v) Total financial outlay for CA Rs. 4,18,02,606.00 (pg. 82/c) 20. Catchment Area Treatment A copy of CAT plan is given and placed in file at pg. (PG. 58-75/c). But it is not clear whether the CAT plan has been approved by the competent authority. 21. Rehabilitation of Oustees a) No of families involved No b) Category of families NO c) Details of rehabilitation plan No 22. Compliance of Scheduled Tribe and Other DM, Purulia District, West Bengal has initiated the Traditional Forest Dwellers (Recognition of process of Settlements of Rights under FRA, 2006. Forest Rights) Act, 2006 DM has assured that all other formalities will be completed before the final approval of the diversion proposal.(Pg-23/c). 23. Cost Benefit Ratio Not given 24. Total Cost of the Project Rs. 465069 lakhs 25. Specific recommendation of DFO for The area is the barest minimum required for the acceptance or otherwise of the proposal. project. It does not form part of any protected area. There is no protected archaeological/heritage site defence establishment or any other important monument is located in the area. No work in violation of the act has been carried out by the User Agency in the area proposed for diversion. Therefore, it is recommended that 234 ha of Forest land may be diverted in the favour of the applicant for use in non-forestry purpose. 26. Recommendation i. DFO Recommended (pg- 81-91/c) ii. CCF Recommendation (pg-96-97/c) iii. APCCF &Nodal Officer Recommended (pg-98) iv SG Recommended (pg-98) 27. District Profile (i) Total Geographical area of the district 625900 ha. (ii) Total Forest area/Divisional Forest area 115226 ha. (iii) Total area diverted since 1980 413.216 ha. (no. Of cases = 8) (iv) Total CA stipulated since 1980 (Forest 28 Ha. land) - a. Forest land including penal CA 38.81 ha. (as on date) b. Non Forest Land 28.00 ha (v) Progress of Compensatory Afforestation a. Forest land 10.81 ha. b. Non Forest land 3. Site Inspection Report: The Site Inspection Report (SIR) for this proposal was carried out by Sh. Suman Mohapatra, CF, Regional Office, Bhubaneswar. The report (Pg.269-301/c) is reproduced below: i. Legal status of the forest land proposed for diversion. : The legal status of the forest land is “Protected Forests”. ii. Item-wise breakup details of the forest land proposed for diversion. : The item-wise breakup details, as submitted by the State Govt. ,are as follows: Sl. Purpose/Component Forest Non-forest land Total land (in ha) Land (in (in ha) ha) Submergence Area (Lower & Upper 1. 112.669 33.689 146.358 Reservoir) 2. Civil structures 10.239 0.000 10.239 3. Construction facilities 18.387 0.000 18.387 4. Stockpile, Processing & Disposal area 22.654 0.000 22.654 Project Roads (Permanent and 5. 22.124 0.000 22.124 Temporary) 6. Rock Quarry Area 21.300 0.000 21.300 7. Other Project Components 8.537 0.000 8.537 8. Borrow Area 18.090 24.311 42.401 Total 234.000 58.000 292.000 It was observed during presentation and subsequent site inspection that 5.356 ha of additional forest land is required to be diverted against proposed underground constructions and 0.969 ha under reconstruction work totalling to 6.325 ha.