Greens get green signal from Power Department

KOCHI: Environmentalists in the state see a positive development in the recent talks by the Power Department with various organisations opposing the Athirappilly project.
It is for the first time in the history of the project that the Power Department and the KSEB agreed to listen to the views of the movements, such as the River Research Centre, the Chalakkudy River Protection Forum, Chalakudy River Protection Samithi and the Athirappilly Action Council."Power Minister Aryadan Mohammed has been positive in his approach to us. He listened to the arguments put forth by the River Research Centre. We presented arguments on the faulty Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) by the WAPCOS, violation of the Forest Rights Act, impact on the forest and biodiversity, impact on Athirappilly waterfalls, impact on the downstream drinking and irrigation water needs and that there is not enough water to sustain another dam," said A Latha of the River Research Centre.