In a major boon to the State government’s plans to complete the Palamuru-Rangareddy Lift Irrigation Scheme (PRLIS) to provide irrigation facility to 12.3 lakh acres in the erstwhile Mahabubnagar, Rangareddy and Nalgonda districts besides supply water for drinking and industrial needs, an expert committee of the Ministry of Environment and Forests has recommended Environmental Clearance to the project.
The expert panel has, however, asked the project proponent (State Government) to submit a bank guarantee of ₹153.7 crore towards environmental damage costs against works executed without securing the environmental clearance. It has also directed the State government to pay a penal amount of ₹106 crore to the State Pollution Control Board.
The amount for environmental damage costs would be utilised for remediation, natural resources augmentation and community resources augmentation plans in a time-bound manner in three years. The project execution authorities have also been refrained from causing further damage to environment.
