Compliance affidavit on behalf of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.

The applicant (Md. Hayath Uddin) had filed an appeal in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) against an order of December 22, 2017 of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granting environmental clearance (EC) for Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Scheme (KLIS) project in Karimnagar district of Telangana.

The NGT, October 20, 2020 has directed the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to assess the extent of environmental damage on account of the project having been executed without prior EC and to identify the restoration measures that can be taken to prevent any adverse ecological impact.

In the light of the above direction, the MoEF&CC constituted a seven member expert committee with assess the extent of damage caused in going ahead with the project without EC from 2007 to 2017.

The committee was also asked to identify the restoration measures necessary along with relief and rehabilitation measures.

"As directed and concluded by the NGT, the project activities that were undertaken by the project proponent from 2008 to 2017, until the EC was obtained were declared as a clear case of violation," the report said.

The total damage cost is worked for the integrated project which comprises drinking and industrial water facility to an extent of 46.6 TMC water and 134.4 TMC water for lift irrigation purpose out of the total project outlay of 180 TMC. Therefore, the committee has proposed 75 per cent of the total damage cost - Rs. 447 crore would be considered as prorate damage and the budget for remediation/restoration, natural and community resources augmentation plan revised accordingly.