Lokmat News Network
Chhatrapati Sambhajinagar:
A delegation of Jayakwadi Pakshi Abhayaranya va Machhimar Bachao Sangharsh Samiti (JPAMBSS), in a meeting with the additional district collector, strongly opposed the execution of the proposed floating solar power project in the Jayakwadi Dam, on Wednesday afternoon. The JPAMBSS office-bearers’s meeting lasted for an hour.
The meeting was held as per the directives of the district collector. Earlier, hundreds of fishermen under the guidance of JPAMBSS staged Jal Samadhi Andolan, by dipping themselves half in the dam water, a few months ago.
Earlier, the divisional forest officer (DFO, Wildlife) M B Naikwadi invited the superintendent of police (SP), deputy conservator of forest (DCF), executive engineer (Jayakwadi, Nathsagar - North), sub-divisional officer (Paithan), assistant commissioner (Fisheries), tehsildar (Paithan), police inspector (Paithan), range forest officer (RFO, Wildlife) and others to attend the meeting organised at the district collectorate, on July 3 afternoon.
JPAMBSS president Bajrang Limbhore brought into notice of the officials that the livelihood of the thousands of fishermen would be affected due to the floating solar project. Due to the absence of oxygen in water, the fish will die in large numbers and new problems will start emerging then. As per the provisions made in the Central Government Act, such projects could not be launched. Besides, the matter is subjudice in the National Green Tribunal (NGT, Pune). Hence the district administration should not permit this project.
The experts Dr Kishore Pathak and Dr Dilip Birute also seconded the demand of fishermen saying that legal provisions restricts from launching of such projects. The officials of other departments also submitted their say in the meeting.
The additional collector assured the delegation of undertaking a thorough study on the issue exploring different angles of the project and then send the report to the government.