'Tantransco violating norms by laying road inside Kosasthalai river'

CHENNAI: Days after the National Green Tribunal pulled up Tangedco for causing environmental damages in Ennore Wetlands, activists alleged that the Tamil Nadu Transmission Corporation laying a road through the Kosasthalai river for erecting high tension towers is a gross violation of rules along the coastal regulation zone.

Nityanand Jayaraman, an environment activist, said that Tantransco continues to erect HT towers inside the Kosasthalai river deviating from the CRZ-approved alignment. “Normally one tower would be constructedin the middle of the river to cross from one side to the other. But Tantransco is constructing all towers around the river perhaps to avoid land acquisition,” he said.

He said that on the river Kosasthalai’s Ennore backwaters Tantransco had encroached upon more than 40 acres of wetlands, including 17 acres of areas identified as mangroves and mangrove buffers in the approved Coastal Zone Management Plan. “Despite protests by Ennore fishers, Tantransco has failed to completely remove concrete debris roads laid blocking water flow in various parts of the backwaters. This will cause flooding during monsoon,” the activist said.

However, a senior Tantransco official denied any deviation in the alignment of erection of high-tension 765 KV towers in Ennore area.

“For the erection of high tension towers, we will lay temporary roads for carrying men and materials. After the completion of the work, we will remove the temporary road. All the works are being carried out after getting due permission,” the official added.

The 765 KV towers are being erected to evacuate power to be generated from the North Chennai TPS stage III 800 MW, which is expected to be commissioned by end of this year.