NEW DELHI, Oct 24: The Centre has granted fresh terms of reference (ToR) for the Sitapur-Hanumana Micro Irrigation Project in Madhya Pradesh, a major inter-state water scheme proposed across the Son river that aims to irrigate over 1.29 lakh hectares of rain-fed land but falls within the Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary.
According to the minutes of a meeting of the environment ministry’s Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects held on October 13, the project is being implemented by the Madhya Pradesh Water Resources Department to improve irrigation intensity and agricultural productivity in Rewa, Mauganj, Sidhi and Singrauli districts.
The project will harness the monsoon flow of Son river by constructing a barrage at Parsauna Khurd village in Sidhi district.
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It is designed for a gross storage of 268.9 million cubic metres (MCM) and a live storage of 255.7 MCM at a full reservoir level of 234 metres above mean sea level.
The proposed barrage will be 1,589 metres long, including a 725-metre earthen dam and a 784-metre spillway fitted with 39 gates. Water will be lifted using seven vertical turbines with a combined power requirement of 108.6 megawatts.
The project will bring 1,29,060 hectares of land under micro irrigation during the Rabi season, mainly for wheat and gram crops, and supply five MCM of water each for drinking and industrial use.
It is expected to benefit 653 villages and increase annual crop production by nearly 39 lakh quintals.
The total land requirement is 3,639.7 hectares, of which 22.36 hectares is forest land. About 4,198 families from 44 villages in Sidhi district are likely to be affected by land acquisition.
The EAC recorded that the process of land acquisition and Resettlement and Rehabilitation is under way and the updated status will be incorporated in the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report.
The estimated project cost is Rs 41,679.3 crore. It will generate direct and indirect employment opportunities during construction and operation phases.
The EAC noted that the project site lies within the Son Gharial Wildlife Sanctuary, which has the presence of gharials, a Schedule-I species under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972.
It said the environmental implications related to biodiversity and wildlife will be evaluated in detail during the EIA and EMP studies.
As the site falls within a protected area, the project has been classified as Category A and will be appraised at the central level by the environment ministry.
The committee was informed that the project has been approved by the Madhya Pradesh government and that an inter-state agreement has been signed between Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar for sharing the river’s waters.
The project will require 1,550 kilolitres of water per day during construction. During operation, it will use 268.9 MCM annually for irrigation and five MCM each for drinking and industrial purposes.
The demographic study of the 10-km radius of the project area shows a total population of 57,887, with Scheduled Castes comprising 11.74 per cent and Scheduled Tribes 21.97 per cent.
The committee granted fresh terms of reference for conducting a detailed Environmental Impact Assessment and Environmental Management Plan before the project is considered for environmental clearance. (PTI)
