Pooyamkutty project not viable

By Roy Mathew

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM, AUG. 5. The proposed Pooyamkutty hydroelectric project, which is being revived by the State Government, will cause considerable environmental and economic losses to the State. The project will submerge two of the three remaining low-elevation forested valleys in the State and cripple its economy.

The Chief Minister, Mr. A.K. Antony, who left for Delhi on Sunday for Plan discussions, will be lobbying strongly with the Centre for the project which is being pursued in spite of other alternatives.

The Southern Western Ghats had 32 low-lying valleys but most of them were destroyed by irrigation and power projects or converted into plantations or farm lands in the past. Now, in the entire reach of the ghats in Kerala, only three low-elevation valleys (below 300 meters MSL) retain significant extent of natural vegetation. These valleys are important as certain species of trees and plants can grow only at this elevation. The Silent Valley (above 900 metres MSL) or other high-elevation valleys are not substitute for the Pooyamkutty valley and nearby Pichiyar valley or the Kallar valley in Thiruvananthapuram district. (The Vamanapuram irrigation project, if revived, will submerge Kallar Valley).

So, if Mr. Antony succeeds in his mission, he would be striking the last nail on the coffin of many a plant that once grew profusely in the rain forests of Kerala.

Penny wise, pound foolish:

The Chief Minister is defending his action noting that the State requires a higher hydro thermal mix to keep the power tariffs low. However, the Kerala Forest Research Institute (KFRI) has estimated that the environmental loss from the first phase of the Pooyamkutty project would be Rs. 3,035 crores.

This is a 1989 estimate based on the Central Government's guidelines. The projected losses would be higher now as more importance and value is attached to biodiversity now. Even by the original estimates, the cost benefit ratio would work out to be negative.

The project will yield 645 million units of power a year. This is not a big addition. The current availability of power in the State is about 14,000 million units including power from the Central pool. The hydel generation within the State constitutes about 65 per cent of this.

The State loses as much as 2,068 million units a year by way of transmission and distribution losses. Hence, 645 million units can be saved if the transmission losses are brought down to about 19 per cent from the current 27 per cent.

There is scope for saving much more energy by promoting energy efficiency. The savings from energy efficiency can be as high 65 per cent. This means that the State would not need additional power stations in the near future and its problems in meeting peak load would be solved automatically.

According to official figures, the gross wind energy potential in the State is 831 MW, of which 605 MW is estimated to be the usable technical potential. So far, the State has tapped only a few megawatts (just 1.93 MW as per last year's figures).

When asked about using this potential at a Cabinet briefing, Mr. Antony replied that the potential was not significant and the State could not do without new hydel projects. Apparently, the officials have not briefed him on wind energy potential and the fact that the firm power potential of Pooyamkutty project is only 73.5 MW.

Whenever new Governments came to power in the State during the past 15 years, it has become routine for them to start a debate on Silent Valley with the intention of pressing the Centre for the Pooyamkutty project. Though the politicians often speak for the poor, they ignore the fact that the Pooyamkutty valley supports the reed economy of the State.

As per 1989 figures quoted in the KFRI study, 26 per cent of the reed supply to Hindusthan Newsprint and 48 per cent of the supply to the State Bamboo Corporation come from the Pooyamkutty forests. About 13,000 people depend on the supply directly and about three lakh people would be affected if the reed economy is crippled.

Much of the reed breaks in Pooyamkutty found in the area would be submerged by the project. This area is under intense exploitation and considerable degradation of the forests has taken place over the years. However, if the area is submerged, reed cutters would move to other areas with fewer reed breaks and richer forests. The consequences for both the workers and the forests can be imagined.

The following is a check list of what would be destroyed even in a small area such as Pindimedu as per the KFRI study: Taxus of Angio sperms - 340 species, timber species - 100, medicinal plants - 174, food and fodder yielding varieties - 90, oil yielding plants - 35, gum and resin yielding plants - 39, tan and dye yielding plants - 40, fibre and floss yielding plants - 22 and spices and condiments yielding species - 5. The direct hit would be taken by 267 families, mostly tribals, who live in the submersible area and depend heavily on the forests for their sustenance.

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