Chief Minister M.K. Stalin on Monday wrote to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, reiterating the State’s stand against the establishment of the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) at Pottipuram village in Theni district. He urged Mr. Modi to intervene and advise the authorities concerned to drop the project. Citing a memorandum that was handed over to the Prime Minister on June 17 last year, in which a specific request was made to the Government of India to drop the proposal, Mr. Stalin said, “This request was made in the larger interest of the conservation of the rich wildlife and biodiversity of the region, as the project would cause irreversible damage to the fragile and sensitive ecosystem.” The proposed site for the neutrino project fell within the Mathikettan - Periyar Tiger Corridor, as mapped by the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA), he pointed out, adding that “the corridor has the critical function of maintaining the genetic flow, which would be destroyed due to project activities”. On November 27, 2017, the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) made three specific points while processing the proposal for granting Environmental Clearance to the project proponent, he recalled.
The tunnelling work involves carrying out blasting in the hard and composite rock mass, and requires a huge quantity of high-strength explosives to break it. Further, the tunnelling work involves the excavation of 6,00,000 cubic metres of Charnockite rock from the mountain. The tunnel and the cavern will be at a depth of 1,000 m from the top of the mountain. At a depth of 1,000 m, mountain rock would be under tremendous pressure, and the vertical stress is expected to be greater than 270 kg per sq. m. “This will create problems like rock bust and roof collapse. The proposals will have to be scrutinised using geotechnical studies for safeguards,” the CM said, quoting the SEIAA, which referred the matter to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. The proposed project is located about 4.9 km from Mathikettan Shola National Park. The project site also falls within the Both Hills West Reserve Forest, which lies in the southern part of the Western Ghats. “The Western Ghats is considered a global biodiversity hotspot, harbouring numerous endemic species of flora and fauna. This area also links ecologically to the eastern habitats, where Srivilliputhur Meghamalai Tiger Reserve is located, and hosts tigers from the region and assists in genetic dispersal across the Western Ghats and the South-Eastern projections through the Cumbam Valley,” Mr. Stalin noted. Along with tigers, their co-predators and several other species of mammals, including ungulates, reptiles and amphibians, move around the slopes of these hills. “The area also forms a significant watershed and water catchment for Sambal and Kottakudi rivers. Small streams on the west side of Bodi hills join Kottakudi river, which joins Periyar river before draining into Vaigai dam. This watershed is the lifeline of the local community, as it supports their livelihood and provides water for drinking and agricultural needs of five districts of Tamil Nadu,” he said. A ministerial delegation from the State had met Union Minister for Industries & Commerce Piyush Goyal on September 27 last year and conveyed the State’s stand. It had requested the Centre to drop the project, considering its serious repercussions.
