A section of the ruling Congress party in Maharashtra has objected to the development of nearly 68 power projects, with total generation capacity of over 35,000 Mw, in the coal-rich Vidarbha region alone.
Congress leaders, including minister of state for finance Rajendra Mulak and former Union minister Vilas Muttemwar, have urged the state government to reconsider the implementation of these projects, since they may lead to a rise in pollution, and more importantly, adversely affect the availability of water in the region.
The Congress party, which seeks to consolidate its position in its traditional bastion ahead of the ensuing civic and local self-government elections in November and February next year, hit out against its alliance partner Nationalist Congress Party (NCP) for developing these projects in the Vidarbha region and not in the fast-developing western Maharashtra. Incidentally, western Maharashtra has been an NCP stronghold.
Mulak told Business Standard, “The development of power or other infrastructure projects in any region should take place depending on the environmental sustainability. The objective should be equitable development of all regions. Congress party members from the Vidarbha region argue power project developers can procure coal from any part of the globe and not solely from the region which is known for coal mines. Therefore, they feel there should not be a concentration of so many projects in Vidarbha alone. They should be spread across the state.” He said the party members had asked for no cuts in the availability of water for agriculture and drinking purposes, while allowing high water-intensive power projects in the region.
The party also held a special conference on the issue of water on Thursday at Yavatmal, a district hit by farmers suicides. The conference was inaugurated by the water resources minister Salman Khurshid, while Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan attended the concluding session. State party chief Manikrao Thakre said many party members felt that despite existing power projects by state and private developers, Vidarbha was reeling under an acute power crisis, since power was supplied to other regions. Party members fear the use of 1,825 million cubic metre of water for the proposed power projects would increase the backlog.
Muttemwar, a known opponent of NCP chief Sharad Pawar, questioned why automobile and less polluting projects, not power projects, were developed in western Maharashtra. “People from Vidarbha are already suffering due to the high level of pollution, primarily because of coal-based power projects. Chandrapur, which has the maximum concentration of such projects, has become one of the top polluting districts in the country. The Congress party in the region is against any further concentration of power projects, especially at the cost of water and the environment,” he said.
Chief Minister Prithviraj Chavan tried to pacify party members by assuring that projects which hampered the region’s environment would not be allowed. He also assured the government would never divert water meant for agriculture to industry.
