Jamshedpur, July 13: The Supreme Court?s directive on Subernarekha Multipurpose Project (SMP) will come up for discussions in New Delhi on Monday.
The state water resource department secretary Sudhir Tripathi and SMP administrator B.K. Tripathi will attend the crucial meeting with the Central Water Commission, an independent wing functioning under the Union ministry of water resources.
The central funding for the project has hit a block for want of clearance from the Supreme Court and Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) for a particular stretch. The state government has already requested the Centre to include the project as a national one as it covers three states of Jharkhand, Orissa and West Bengal.
The project, started in 1978, has been delayed due to the lackadaisical attitude of the government.
After an on-the-spot inspection of the projects in three districts of Singhbhum in November last year, the Supreme Court?s committee has suggested several structural modifications in the project?s proposed construction plan.
?During the meeting, authorities of Union water resource ministry, Central Water Commission and planning commission will discuss the progress in mega projects undertaken by the Centre or state water resource department involving more than one state,? said Tripathi.
Tripathi said the issue of funding the project by the Union water source ministry will also be discussed.
The recommendations of Central Empowered Committee of the apex court included nine corridors for elephants in Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary area, development of eco-sensitive zone in 500-metre periphery of southern part of Dalma Wildlife Sanctuary area and afforestation in 1800 hectares of non-forest land in Seraikela-Kharsawan and East Singhbhum districts.
The committee has also objected to the construction of Ichha dam in Seraikela-Kharsawan district and suggested the SMP authorities to get a prior approval from the MoEF.
The SMP authorities said they had obtained clearance from the MoEF for Ichha dam in 1984 itself. T
The apex court?s hearing on the matter is pending.
