tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-72698420176392528742024-03-19T08:49:17.495+05:30Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS), Kutch, GujaratWhat a paradox! On one hand, we are engaged in intertidal fishing, a thriving craft that we have been practicing for over 200 years. On the other hand, exploitation by middlemen keeps us trapped in debts. In Vibrant Gujarat, we live in inhuman conditions without any access to basic amenities, education and health facilities.
Now, we are being wiped out by Adani's Mundra Port and SEZ, OPG Power Plant etc.
This is our struggle to win our right to live a dignified life.Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.comBlogger74125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-69560562516076086172016-08-11T14:36:00.003+05:302016-08-11T14:36:54.354+05:30Indian Communities ask U.S. Court of Appeals to hold World Bank Group Accountable<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="color: #222222; text-align: start;">Press Statement - August 11, 2016</span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; text-align: start;"><b>Indian Communities ask U.S. Court of Appeals to hold World Bank Group Accountable</b></span></div>
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<span style="color: #222222; font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;">August 11, 2016, Mundra, Gujarat – This week, fishing communities and farmers, affected by the Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL – Tata Mundra) represented by EarthRights International (ERI) <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=https-3A__www.earthrights.org_sites_default_files_documents_2016-2D08-2D09-5Fappellant-5Fbrief-5Fdckt-5F.pdf&d=BQMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=_MnlPAv50WX0mkEGkWjEO8WnfPAiS-VudqsiPEWysDoSwiIKChL68tgUv42wS__4&m=Gy2F98cBHz4Kki5it0uwFxvQNxNRF2WsYAe1CFOwQdw&s=5zS-GOJGbooCz1uV0Xf44HZRxBZJbpQ95stSPWARhV0&e=">asked the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals</a> to hold the International Finance Corporation (IFC) accountable for its role in funding a destructive coal fire powered plant in India. In March, a federal district court judge dismissed the case after ruling that the IFC, the private lending arm of the World Bank, was entitled to “absolute immunity” from suit and could not be sued.</span><span style="font-family: "calibri" , sans-serif; font-size: 14px; line-height: normal;"></span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The communities, organised as Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS - Association for the Struggle for Fisherworkers’ Rights), filed suit against the IFC last year over the loss of their livelihoods and property and threats to their health caused by the IFC-funded Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant in Gujarat. The IFC moved to dismiss the case, arguing that it is not subject to the authority of U.S. courts, no matter how harmful or illegal its actions may have been. The district court concluded that it was required to find that the IFC is entitled to absolute immunity based on previous decisions from the D.C. Circuit Court of Appeals.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">In their appeal this week, the Plaintiffs argue that recent Supreme Court cases addressing immunity overturned the D.C. Circuit’s decisions and made clear that the IFC was not entitled to the immunity is claimed. “The IFC's sweeping claims of immunity are inconsistent with Supreme Court caselaw, and deeply flawed from a policy perspective,” said Michelle Harrison, Staff Attorney at ERI.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">From the start, the IFC recognized that the Tata Mundra project was a high-risk project that could have “significant” and potentially “irreversible” adverse impacts on local communities and their environment. Despite knowing the risks, the IFC provided a critical $450 million loan, enabling the project’s construction and giving the IFC immense influence over project design, implementation and operation. Yet the IFC failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to the communities and to ensure that the project abided by the required environmental and social conditions for IFC involvement, according to the complaint.</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Construction of the plant resulted in displacement of local communities and contributed to saltwater intrusion into the groundwater, destroying vital sources of water used for drinking and irrigation. Coal ash contaminates crops and fish laid out to dry and has led to an increase in respiratory problems. The plant has destroyed the local marine environment and the fish populations that fishermen like Budha Ismail Jam, a plaintiff in the case, rely on to support their families. “The IFC promises its projects will reduce poverty, but this project has only made things harder for us,” he said. “The IFC must be held accountable for the harm that it has caused. We feel confident that we will prevail in our appeal.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO), the IFC’s own compliance mechanism, issued a scathing report in 2013, confirming that the IFC had failed to ensure the project complied with the environmental and social conditions of the IFC’s loan. Rather than take remedial action, the IFC responded by rejecting most of its findings, and ignoring others. As the district court noted in its decision, “the CAO is not a court” and it “cannot compel the IFC to right its wrongs, or to provide remedies to individuals who have been harmed by IFC-financed projects.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The IFC is required to ensure there is broad community support for projects like the Tata Mundra Plant before it can provide financing. But communities will have little reason to trust the IFC now, according to Dr. Bharat Patel, of the MASS, which is also a plaintiff in the case. “The CAO found that the IFC had failed to comply with the environmental and social conditions of the loan, but the IFC has failed to take any steps to remedy the harm the communities have suffered,” said Dr. Patel. “Rather than take responsibility, it is trying to hide behind immunity. How can communities trust the IFC to uphold its promises?”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;"> “The IFC believes it is above the law and accountable to no one,” said Ms. Harrison. “Our clients disagree and the law is on their side.”</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">The case is Jam v. International Finance Corporation, No. 16-7051.</span></div>
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<a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__link.email.dynect.net_link.php-3FDynEngagement-3Dtrue-26H-3D-252Bdu7sJaY23OO-252BqQ6mC2QqglzHYl8onDna9bYv0z8S-252B2c1yLWI1mxfhv9uuocMLIWDTrz36mKumo-252Fqb7IxNpYetVZWF8NRRvogLLTZmI2DNGMmNpvF7cfhfiWns67dnmz-26G-3D0-26R-3Dhttps-253A-252F-252Fwww.earthrights.org-252Fsites-252Fdefault-252Ffiles-252Fdocuments-252F2016-2D08-2D09-5Fappellant-5Fbrief-5Fdckt-5F.pdf-26I-3D20160810185214.0000001d1dbb-2540mail6-2D59-2Dussnn1-26X-3DMHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU3YWI3N2Q5MDE2MjQ3M2NmYjQ1NDUyZjs-253D-26S-3D3knilYE9Pbq2vqX6UrEUDstcKWpjLTsrIoT9xyFv1CY&d=BQMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=T0fJv0h-vMsZVGvzlVzSqY_4FxU-k0u3ezlR3OUOiRHZhEVnaTfSJKUpZBhNbuuy&m=IRx89bLQaZyYgfkLaumQmH3ZqjHYTF05L4grV62BhvI&s=Rl7NdEP027pcJfkqabn1AuVZB3jhUaPnGqpoWm0zqwc&e=" target="_blank">Read the Court of Appeals Brief.</a></div>
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<span style="color: #222222;">Contacts:</span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Bharat Patel, General Secretary, MASS</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">+91-9426469803 </span><br />
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<span style="color: #222222;">Michelle Harrison, Staff Attorney, ERI</span><br />
<span style="color: #222222;">+1-202-466-5188 x 110</span></div>
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<em>EarthRights International (ERI) is a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization that combines the power of law and the power of people in defense of human rights and the environment, which we define as "earth rights." We specialize in fact-finding, legal actions against perpetrators of earth rights abuses, training grassroots and community leaders, and advocacy campaigns, and have offices in Southeast Asia, the United States and Peru. More information on ERI is available at </em><a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__link.email.dynect.net_link.php-3FDynEngagement-3Dtrue-26H-3D-252Bdu7sJaY23OO-252BqQ6mC2QqglzHYl8onDna9bYv0z8S-252B2c1yLWI1mxfhv9uuocMLIWDTrz36mKumo-252Fqb7IxNpYetVZWF8NRRvogLLTZmI2DNGMmNpvF7cfhfiWns67dnmz-26G-3D0-26R-3Dhttp-253A-252F-252Fwww.earthrights.org-252F-26I-3D20160810185214.0000001d1dbb-2540mail6-2D59-2Dussnn1-26X-3DMHwxMDQ2NzU4OjU3YWI3N2Q5MDE2MjQ3M2NmYjQ1NDUyZjs-253D-26S-3D2S8V7os238B4pWzaeaajn53cZzoHyN71Ldw9FqcZIEA&d=BQMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=T0fJv0h-vMsZVGvzlVzSqY_4FxU-k0u3ezlR3OUOiRHZhEVnaTfSJKUpZBhNbuuy&m=IRx89bLQaZyYgfkLaumQmH3ZqjHYTF05L4grV62BhvI&s=APEeag1arktC5n7Qk3YZnDmqoHcdMuDv0zhoz_AMILo&e=" target="_blank"><em>http://www.earthrights.org</em></a><em>.</em></div>
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Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS - Association for the Struggle for Fisherworkers’ Rights) is a trade union working among the fisher people of Kutch, Gujarat. <a href="https://urldefense.proofpoint.com/v2/url?u=http-3A__masskutch.blogspot.in_&d=BQMFaQ&c=euGZstcaTDllvimEN8b7jXrwqOf-v5A_CdpgnVfiiMM&r=_MnlPAv50WX0mkEGkWjEO8WnfPAiS-VudqsiPEWysDoSwiIKChL68tgUv42wS__4&m=Gy2F98cBHz4Kki5it0uwFxvQNxNRF2WsYAe1CFOwQdw&s=t8sb4wtrlvMxvko0G8aW9dTBJYbtTKA9EuqRFt6D68U&e=">http://masskutch.blogspot.in</a> </div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com15tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-79999436926709668902015-07-13T10:40:00.000+05:302015-07-13T10:40:10.659+05:30Press Statement: ADB Action Plan on Tata Mundra rejected: Communities Demand Robust Remedial Plan<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Press Statement: 13.7.2015<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">ADB Action Plan on
Tata Mundra rejected: Communities Demand Robust Remedial Plan<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Kutch, Gujarat:</b> Communities
affected by the Tata Mundra (Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd) coal power plant in
Kutch rejected the action plan developed by the Asian Development Bank (ADB),
calling it “non-serious, lacks genuineness, commitment or imagination.”<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">ADB developed the </span><a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/R44-15%20(as%20posted%203%20July%202015).pdf/$FILE/R44-15%20(as%20posted%203%20July%202015).pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">remedial
action plan</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;"> in response to its accountability mechanism, Compliance Review
Panel (CRP) finding serious violations of ADB’s policies while approving the
loan to Tata Mundra.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In its </span><a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf/$FILE/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">Report</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">,
published in April 2015, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CRP
found several areas of noncompliance with ADB operational policies and
procedures. Some of them were:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">failure to conduct adequate and
comprehensive consultations with fisherfolk during initial project design phase
and consider their views in assessing project impacts. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with ADB
operational policies and procedures for thermal and chemical pollution of
wastewater discharged through its outfall channel leading to harm people
fishing on foot. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with air pollution
standards, and unless continued violations of prescribed air standards were not
checked or brought into compliance, further harm would result. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with ADB
operational procedures and resulting harm by not surveying and compensating
people impacted by longer access routes to their traditional fishing grounds as
plant premises now stood enclosed. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In a </span><a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/2015_07_01_archive.html#5352623638949185112"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">written
response</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">, <span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">Machimar
Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS - Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’
Rights), the local community organisation of fishworkers, and farmers who
complained to CRP, questioned the process of developing the action plan. The
ADB team which visited the project site for preparing the action plan never met
or consulted the people. They termed the consultation process </span>proposed
in the action plan a “hogwash”.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Responding to the proposal that National Institute of Oceanography
(NIO) would undertake studies to assess the impacts of thermal discharge,
citing the observations of CRP on erroneous Rapid Marine Environment Impact
Assessment which NIO did in 2007 and 2009, MASS said “To depend on NIO’s
findings again to develop a mitigation plan would be a non-starter.” MASS further
said that NIO <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>“…lacks credibility, acceptance and whose
initial reports have misled ADB is wrongly assessing the impacts.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Reacting strongly against Livelihood Improvement Plan in the
action plan, restricted only for people who had practiced foot fishing General
Secretary of MASS Dr. Bharat Patel asked “Why is ADB trying to discriminate the
affected population, when CRP in its report has been eloquent on the loss of
livelihood for the fisherfolk?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MASS expressed serious concern on the $1.2 mn (INR 7 crore)
budget it has allocated for the Action Plan. They said 57% of the budget is set
aside for studies and even when there is no plans for the Livelihood
Improvement Plan, nor an idea about the number of people who require
alternative livelihood, the action plan predetermined $3,00,000 for it. MASS
said that by doing that “the management is making its insensitive attitude
amply clear.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Expressing extreme anguish at this action plan, Gajendrasinh
Bhimaji, Sarpanch of Navinal Panchayat and one of the complainants said, “We
were hopeful when CRP confirmed the concerns that we raised and expected the
ADB to develop an action plan based on the findings of CRP. We are utterly
disappointed. With the project fully commissioned, impacts on fisheries and
horticulture becoming serious, we are staring at an unsure future.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">MASS in its statement said, “From a position of
self-sufficient communities we are made to seek charity from the company and
ADB now. Our dignity is ripped off. Whatever is prepared in the name of an
Action Plan is insult to injury. We do not have any option but to reject this
Action Plan. Unless we see an action plan which addresses the fundamental
findings of CRP, where we are a part of the planning, implementation and
monitoring, we will continue our struggle for justice.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">They urged the ADB to “to engage in a process, in
consultation with the affected people, to develop an action plan based on the findings
of CRP and with a genuine intend to mitigate the impacts resulted from their
investment in Tata Mundra project.”<o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Contact: Bharat Patel - +91-9426469803<o:p></o:p></span><br />
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-53526236389491851122015-07-13T10:35:00.001+05:302015-07-13T10:35:43.942+05:30MASS’ Response to ADB’s Action Plan On Tata Mundra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-size: 18pt; font-variant: small-caps; mso-bidi-font-size: 11.0pt;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">MASS’
Response to ADB’s Action Plan On Tata Mundra<br /></span></span></b><span style="font-family: Calibri;">The much awaited <a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/R44-15%20(as%20posted%203%20July%202015).pdf/$FILE/R44-15%20(as%20posted%203%20July%202015).pdf" target="_blank">Action Plan</a> of Asian Development Bank (ADB)
on Tata Mundra is finally out! The Action Plan was looked forward to by a large
number of people, negatively affected by the Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project
(Tata Mundra), since it was preceded by a Report by the Compliance Review Panel
(CRP), ADB’s accountability mechanism. </span></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><br /></span><span style="font-family: Calibri;">In its </span><a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf/$FILE/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf"><span style="color: #0563c1; font-family: Calibri;">Report</span></a><span style="font-family: Calibri;">,
published in April 2015, <span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">CRP
found several areas of noncompliance with ADB operational policies and
procedures. Some of them were:<br /></span></span><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">failure to conduct adequate and
comprehensive consultations with fisherfolk during initial project design phase
and consider their views in assessing project impacts. </span></i><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with ADB
operational policies and procedures for thermal and chemical pollution of
wastewater discharged through its outfall channel leading to harm people
fishing on foot. </span></i><span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with air pollution
standards, and unless continued violations of prescribed air standards were not
checked or brought into compliance, further harm would result. <o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
</div>
<span style="font-family: Symbol; mso-bidi-font-family: Symbol; mso-fareast-font-family: Symbol;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">·<span style="font-size-adjust: none; font-stretch: normal; font: 7pt/normal "Times New Roman";">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">noncompliance with ADB
operational procedures and resulting harm by not surveying and compensating
people impacted by longer access routes to their traditional fishing grounds as
plant premises now stood enclosed. <o:p></o:p></span></i><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What the people were expecting was an Action Plan based on
these findings. Instead, what was presented to them was a “Studies Plan”, as
the CRP calls it, plagued with too little “Action” and cherry-picking the
findings.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">As suggested by the management, MASS had prepared a detailed
<a href="https://drive.google.com/file/d/0B3yMQWiyeBH8QVl2NTItQUZuUFk/view?usp=sharing" target="_blank">‘People’s Action Plan’</a> based on each findings of CRP (see appended). Nearly
none of them are addressed in the Action Plan. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Machimar
Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS - Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’
Rights) finds the current Action Plan problematic for the following reasons:<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Erroneous Process<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">In May 2015, when MASS and other organisations met with the
management (Todd C. Freeland DG PSOD, Michael Barrow DDG PSOD, Don Purka,
Director) we were told that a team from ADB have already made a field visit in
preparation to developing an Action Plan. It shocked us since there was no
information about this visit, or the said team met anybody who filed the
complaint to CRP, or the communities which the complainants represented in
their complaint. If the Action Plan is prepared in consultation only with the
company and not with the people, whose complaint led to the CRP report, that clearly
shows that ADB is not interested in any course correction. It proves that ABD not
holding adequate consultation with people initially was intentional. And it
continue with the intent.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Plans that are hardly
plans!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Consultation<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">If the intention of holding consultation with all
stakeholders is genuine, especially after the project is completed and is made
a <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">fait accompli</i> on the people, it
should be to assess the spread and depth of damages caused and plan a robust
mitigation plan. Without a real assessment how can one develop a budget? Or, whether
putting up a budget is to put a limit to the extent of planning ADB could do?
We fear that this consultation process will be yet another hogwash and that is
clear right from the beginning of Action Plan preparation.<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Studies by NIO<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The
Marine Environmental Impact Assessment (MEIA) and the Rapid Environmental
Impact Assessment (RMEIA) for the project was carried out by National Institute
of Oceanography (NIO) in 2007 and 2009. A few of their conclusions led to
catastrophic results. Consider this: <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Evidently, no large scale of
commercial fishing operations prevail off Tunda-Vandh and surrounding region
except for minor based hand-net and gill-net operations.” (MEIA, Pg 52)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“Since there are no commercial
fishing operations off Tunda-Vandh except shore based local fishing, the impact
on fisheries would be minor and non-consequential” (MEIA, Pg 87)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">It would be worthwhile to consider CRP’s observations on
NIO’s reports:<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The presence of fisherfolk who
practice traditional fishing has also been noted in the RMEIA. The report
states that there are no commercial fishing operations in Kotdi Creek except
shore based local fishing. The RMEIA further refers to some limited fishing in
traditional boats. Internal ADB commenters in the preparation phase of the SEIA
also pointed to the likelihood that the outfall channel might impact on people
fishing in the area.<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">It is thus puzzling that the SEIA
states: “Despite the fishing potential of the gulf, <b>there are no local
fishing activities in the coastal waters fronting the project area</b>. This
could be because most villagers are vegetarians and the presence of a vast
intertidal mudflat. The nearest small fishing community is located outside the
project areas at about 2.8 km from Modwa creek, where the spent cooling water
will be discharged.” (emphasis added) The same statement can be found in the
Resettlement Planning Document (para. 18): “Although the fishing potential of
the Gulf of Kutch is significant, <b>there are no local fishing activities in
the coastal waters directly fronting the project area which has vast intertidal
mudflats</b>, The nearest small fishing community is at Kotdi Creek bank
located outside the project area …”(emphasis added). The CRP does not agree
with the statement that no fishing takes place in the coastal waters fronting
the project area. ADB staff explained to the CRP that this statement was made,
as the RMEIA states that there is no large scale commercial fishing in the
shallow waters in front of the plant. But ADB policies and procedures are not
only directed towards large scale operators. It is the poor and vulnerable who
in particular need to be consulted and for whom negative project impacts can
seriously affect their livelihood and fisherfolk who fish in front of the Tata
Mundra plant are mostly poor.” (CRP Report Pg 18-19)<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt 36pt; mso-layout-grid-align: none;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">“The CRP is of the view that the
RMEIA and MEIA reports present a somewhat incomplete picture.” </span></i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif";">(About t<span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">hermal pollution from water discharged from the outfall channel)</span><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"> (CRP Report Pg 25)<o:p></o:p></i></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">To depend on NIO’s findings again to develop a mitigation
plan would be a non-starter. NIO was again engaged by the company in 2013 after
the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) of International Finance Corporation
(IFC), a co-financier of the project, came heavily down upon the IFC for its
blatant violation of its own policies. IFC adopted whatever the company said
they are doing as their own Action Plan. ADB, in an effort to dodge
responsibility and fool people, is just piggybacking on something which lacks
credibility, acceptance and whose initial reports have misled ADB is wrongly
assessing the impacts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Temperature Monitoring<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We welcome the automatic temperature monitoring device at
the outflow channel to be made accessible to the public. However, CRP found
non-compliance of ADB policies vis-à-vis thermal discharge. How does the
monitoring alone address this non-compliance? If ADB is genuine to address this
non-compliance, it has to ask the company to change the open cooling system of
outfall channel to a closed cooling system. <o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Livelihood Improvement
Plan<o:p></o:p></span></i></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why is Livelihood Improvement Plan restricted only for
people who had practiced foot fishing? CRP in its report has been eloquent on
the loss of livelihood for the fisherfolk. Why discriminate the affected
population? Or, does ADB consider that the thermal pollution the outfall
channel is causing can be contained in a limited area?<o:p></o:p></span><br />
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Any livelihood improvement plan should consider all affected
communities; wide consultations with them should be fundamental to developing a
plan and plans should be made public. CRP identified affected communities can
only be a beginning and not the end. CRP talks about impacts of coal dust, fly
ash and air pollution. There is no data available on the spread of its impacts.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">What one is witnessing here is that instead of ADB trying to
make an effort to assess the actual impacts and develop an Action Plan, it is
trying to narrow down its ambit and discriminate among the affected
communities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Missing the woods for
the trees <o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">May be in this case it should be said ‘missing the sea for
the water’! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">By not taking appropriate actions on the CRP report, apart
from undermining the accountability mechanism of ADB, it is also sending a
stern message to all communities who will ever consider of seeking redressal
from CRP that ADB do not care about their miseries, or CRP’s findings, it will
defend its client, and at best, they will hogwash the communities and public with
some studies and ornamental actions, and continue with its business.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We are disappointed with the Board which approved this
Action Plan, which is non-serious, lacks genuineness, commitment or imagination,
and is a joke on the affected communities.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">ADB has missed another opportunity to look at the real
impacts and develop a remedial action plan. Instead of realising its vision of
an Asia free from poverty, with its attitude towards the affected communities
in Tata Mundra ADB is making the self-sufficient communities poor.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Budget<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">The lack of commitment is reflected also in the budget
allocation. 57% of the budget is going for studies (for discredited agencies
like NIO and other consultants). With allocating only $300,000 for livelihood
improvement plan, without even knowing the actual number of people who needs
alternative livelihood and without even knowing what the plans are, the
management is making its insensitive attitude amply clear. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Key missed
opportunities<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who implements the plans and monitors the progress of all
these proposed actions? The same company and the same M&E consultants,
whose failure hitherto has led to such a situation? There is no attempt from
the management to learn from the past mistakes. Unless the affected communities
are part of the implementing and monitoring process, however good the plans
look on paper (in this case, it looks a non-starter even on paper!), it will
never be implemented on the ground and the ones who has suffered so far will
continue to do so.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">A genuine consultation process with all stakeholders is
lacking in the Action Plan. CRP has listed policy violations on consulting
affected communities at various stages of impact assessment studies. Why is the
management still not trying to consult people, to understand the spread and
depth of impacts?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Having repeatedly established by agencies like CAO and CRP
that the Social and Environmental Impact Assessment is erroneous, why is there
no attempt to do a fresh SEIA? Without which how can anyone ever draw a
remedial plan?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Why nothing is proposed on health facilities, despite CRP
reporting about air pollution, dust and ash contamination? What about the dust
and ash deposited on grazing land, which is consumed by the livestock? ADB do
not want to address the genuine impacts and is only interested in some
publicity stunt? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Who in ADB is accountable for this situation? Shouldn’t the
accountability for the mess that is left in Tata Mundra stop at somebody’s
doorstep? Or does ADB want to continue to incentivise through perks and
promotions the ones who took wrong decisions, ignored the required studies,
failed in upholding ADB’s policies, put people’s livelihood and health at stake
and caused irreversible damage to environment?<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Role of CRP<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We want to acknowledge here the positive role played by CRP.
We appreciate CRP being proactive in ensuring that the management is complied
with the policies and the impacts on the communities are minimal. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Conclusion<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our worst fears have come true! <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">Our livelihood is stolen. From a position of self-sufficient
communities we are made to seek charity from the company and ADB now. Our
dignity is ripped off. Whatever is prepared in the name of an Action Plan is
insult to injury. We do not have any option but to reject this Action Plan.
Unless we see an action plan which addresses the fundamental findings of CRP,
where we are a part of the planning, implementation and monitoring, we will
continue our struggle for justice.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<span style="font-family: Calibri;">We urge ADB to engage in a process, in consultation with the
affected people, to develop an action plan based on the findings of CRP and
with a genuine intend to mitigate the impacts resulted from their investment in
Tata Mundra project.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0pt;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><span style="font-family: Calibri;">Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
<span style="font-family: Calibri;"><span style="color: #222222; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;">July 2015</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-29200549355505213162015-05-22T23:47:00.006+05:302015-05-22T23:52:18.853+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: #11773d; color: #fafafa; font-family: chaparral-pro-caption, 'Droid Serif', 'Alright Sans', 'Open Sans', 'Droid Sans', Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 48px; font-weight: bold; line-height: 64.3199996948242px;">Communities Sue World Bank Group In U.S. Federal Court for Destructive Coal-Fired Power Plant</span></div>
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April 23, 2015, Washington, D.C. – Today fishing communities and farmers from India represented by EarthRights International (ERI) filed suit against the International Finance Corporation (IFC), the private-lending arm of the World Bank Group, in federal court in Washington, D.C. The plaintiffs allege that the IFC caused the loss of their livelihoods, destroyed their lands and water, and created threats to their health by funding the Tata Mundra coal-fired power plant in Gujarat, India.</div>
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The 4,150 MW coal-fired power plant, owned by Tata Power, began operating at full capacity in 2013. According to the court complaint, the plant has already dramatically affected the lives of the people who live in its shadow. The thermal pollution discharged from the plant’s cooling system has led to a dramatic decline in the fish populations that local fishing communities depend on.</div>
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“The fish catch has been declining since 2011,” said plaintiff Budha Ismail Jam, a local fisherman who lives in a seasonal fishing village known as a <em style="box-sizing: border-box;">bunder</em> most of the year. “I don’t know what other profession I could do to support my family.”</div>
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The substantial coal dust and fly ash coming from the plant and its coal conveyor belt is also harming local farms, the quality of fish and salt from the region, and the health of local people. Another plaintiff, Sidik Kasam Jam, explained: “When the conveyor belt runs, the coal dust blows towards the bunder. People have respiratory problems now. The elderly are the worst affected. You can see the dust on the fish we lay out to dry.”</div>
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The IFC provided a critical $450 million loan to the project, enabling its construction and giving it immense influence over project design and implementation. The IFC’s stated goals are to end extreme poverty and to carry out its investment activities “with the intent to ‘do no harm’ to people and the environment.” IFC borrowers are expected to take precautions to protect vulnerable communities’ and the environment, an obligation that the IFC is tasked with supervising, monitoring and enforcing.</div>
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“The IFC failed on all counts with the Tata Mundra project,” says Rick Herz, ERI’s Litigation Coordinator. “While the IFC purports to support this project in the name of poverty reduction and development, its impacts fall hardest on the poorest and most vulnerable communities.”</div>
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From the outset, the IFC recognized the significant risks the Tata Mundra project posed to local communities and their environment. It predicted that without proper management and mitigation, the project could have “significant” adverse impacts that “are diverse, irreversible or unprecedented.” Despite this, the IFC failed to take reasonable steps to prevent harm to nearby communities and failed to ensure that the project abides by the required environmental and social conditions of the IFC’s involvement. Even the IFC’s own accountability mechanism – the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) - agreed. In 2013, the CAO issued one of its most scathing reports, finding that the IFC had failed to ensure the project met the applicable Environmental and Social Standards that had been made binding conditions of the IFC’s loan.</div>
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“While the IFC is likely to argue that it is immune from suit, no institution should be above the law in a case where the risks were so obvious from the start, and the failure to act so damaging,” said Herz. The lawsuit seeks compensation for harm to property and economic livelihoods, and asks the court order the IFC to enforce the provisions of the loan agreement which were intended to protect local communities and the environment to minimize future harm.</div>
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ERI also represents Mr. Ranubha Jadeja, a local farmer, the fishermen's organization, Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS; in English, the Association for the Struggle for Fisherworkers’ Rights), and the Navinal Panchayat (village), a local government entity.</div>
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/india/Gujarat-fishermen-sue-IFC-in-US-Court-for-funding-Tata-Powers-Mundra-UMPP/articleshow/47161150.cms</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://www.corpwatch.org/article.php?id=16026</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://www.coalpost.in/gujarat-fishermen-sue-ifc-in-us-court-for-funding-tata-powers-mundra-umpp/</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://www.allgov.com/india/news/top-stories/gujarati-villagers-sue-world-bank-arm-in-us-court-150424?news=856324</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://int.piplinks.org/india-communities-sue-world-bank-group-us-destructive-coal-fired-power-plant</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://www.networkfix.ca/blog/gujarat-fishermen-sue-ifc-in-us-court-for-funding-tata-powers-mundra-umpp/</span></span><br />
<span style="color: #333333; font-family: Alright Sans, Open Sans, Droid Sans, Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif;"><span style="font-size: 24px; line-height: 35.5200004577637px;">http://in.shafaqna.com/EN/IN/410604</span></span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-91377461995991219822015-04-09T14:57:00.001+05:302015-04-09T14:57:57.690+05:30Tata Mundra project under fire from ADB Accountability Panel<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<h2 style="text-align: left;">
Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sanghathan </h2>
<div style="text-align: left;">
Press Statement – April 9, 2015<br />
<br />
<b>Tata Mundra project under fire from ADB Accountability Panel:<br />People Demand Immediate Action on the Findings</b></div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
<br />
<b>Mundra, Gujarat:</b> In a major breakthrough, the Compliance Review Panel of Asian Development Bank has come down heavily upon the ADB for committing major violations in financing the 4000 MW Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (Tata Mundra), in Gujarat. This is the second major financial institution which is coming under harsh criticism for its lending to Tata Mundra, by their own accountability mechanisms, after the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman of World Bank’s International Finance Corporation found serious violations resulting in harm to the people and environment.<br />
<br />
Failure to adequately disclose information about the project and potential harm, absence of timely public consultation with all stakeholders, erroneous Social and Environment Impact Assessment (SEIA) resulting in failure to identify potential impacts, absence of baseline data and monitoring systems; failure in adhering to the ADB policies on discharge of water to the sea at a higher temperature resulting in heavy loss to livelihood to fisherfolk; violation for ambient air quality standard are some of the serious violations found in the investigation by CRP. The <a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf/$FILE/Mundra-CRPFinalReport-7Apr2015.pdf">Report</a> was made public on April 7.<br />
<br />
These policy violations are manifested on the ground as, heavy drop in the fish catch due to discharge of water to the sea at a higher temperature, resulting in serious livelihood issues among the fishing community; inadequate compensation for the fisherfolk, since they were not counted in the SEIA; and increasing respiratory illnesses among the children and the old.<br />
<br />
ADB management’s response to the CRP findings were mostly dismissive and tried to justify the violations and safeguard their client, the company.<br />
<br />
CRP chose not to look into the impacts of the inlet channel of the project, citing that it is shared with the adjacent Adani power project, nor did it look adequately the impacts of coal dust and fly ash pollution on dry fish put in the open, or acknowledge the impacts on horticulture, blaming on the “multiplicity of factors”.<br />
<br />
“This is a major victory for the people’s struggle against Tata Mundra and other destructive power projects in Kutch” Bharat Patel, General Secretary of Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sanghathan (MASS), one the complainants to CRP said. “Since two of the world's largest development banks have come under fire from their own accountability mechanisms for gross violations on the ground, it has only strenghtened our resolve to intensify our voices and struggle for justice and fight this dirty energy,” he added. <br />
</div>
<div style="text-align: left;">
In October 2013 <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/CAOAuditReportC-I-R6-Y12-F160.pdf">CAO released its findings</a> citing violations for IFC policies. Among them, Environmental and Social risks and impacts of the project were not considered and addressed; There is no social baseline data; IFC’s policies for land acquisition not applied, despite physical and economic displacement; Inadequate attention paid to the requirement of biodiversity conservation; IFC failed in its review and supervision of the impacts on airshed & marine environment; and IFC failed to examine the cumulative impact of projects around Tata Mundra.<br />
<br />
A <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/CGPLmonitoringreport.pdf">monitoring report</a> after one year, which was made public by CAO in January 2014 found that no action was taken by the IFC or company to address the findings of CAO an year back.<br />
<br />
“The project is up and running and people, our crops and cattle are suffering from its impacts. ADB finding violations about non-compliance but not taking any action on its will be a joke on the people. The violator should be taken to task and suspend all work till the issues are adequately settled”, Gajendrasinh Bhimaji, one of the complainants said.<br />
<br />
“No other project in the country has received such serious flak from its financiers as Tata Mundra in recent times. Not taking any meaningful action on the findings will erode people’s faith in institutions like World Bank and ADB further, and will be left with no choice but the challenge them at all fora”, Madhuresh Kumar, National Convenor of National Alliance of People’s Movements said.<br />
<br />
"This audit report by CRP reconfirms the earlier CAO findings that both the ADB (and other financiers) and Tata-Mundra/ CGPL had faltered on anticipating multiple impacts on communities and planning right measures to mitigate these. It is high time ADB, IFC and Tata Power sincerely engage in serious damage repair mechanism in consultation with the affected communities", said Soumya Dutta, an energy expert.<br />
<br />
Souparna Lahiri of NGO Forum on ADB, a watchdog of ADB said, “We welcome the findings of the CRP. We hope the findings will not remain on paper and the management will translate it into bold actions, sending a strong message to their clients”.<br />
<br />
The people’s struggle against Tata Mundra demands that:<br />
<br />
· ADB should suspend their funding to Tata Mundra immediately, pending strict compliance to the policies<br />
· Should compensate people for the loss they have incurred already, and<br />
· Take punitive actions against the company for violating the policies.<br />
<br />
Contact:<br />
Bharat Patel: +91-96010 71983 / <a href="mailto:bharatp1977@gmail.com">bharatp1977@gmail.com</a> <br />
<br />
For background resources: <a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/">http://masskutch.blogspot.in/</a> <br />
Images: <a href="http://tinyurl.com/kupcysq">http://tinyurl.com/kupcysq</a> </div>
</div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-2189207293318405922014-05-21T19:45:00.000+05:302014-05-21T19:47:38.174+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IFC Hide behind
Tata’s False Claims: No Actions Taken on CAO Findings yet<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">President Dr.Kim’s
claims about Accountability Goes for a Toss!!<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Six months after the Compliance Advisor
Ombudsman (CAO) of the International Finance Corporation (IFC) of World Bank
Group published its audit report on the Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL – Tata
Mundra), IFC, or the WBG President Dr. Jim Kim, is yet to take any action.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">In August 2013 CAO submitted its findings
to Dr.Kim on a complaint filed by the Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan
(MASS - Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights) in June 2011. Dr.
Kim who is mandated to recommend actions on the findings of CAO sat on the
report for an unprecedented four weeks before he approved the report without recommending
even one action on CAO’s findings and supporting IFC’s rebuttal of the findings
and their defense of their client.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Having done nothing on the CAO report so
far, IFC is trying to pass the buck to the company and started projecting the
supposed CSR work as a response to the CAO findings and proudly display it on
IFC’s website. This is not only shameful, but smacks of complete disregard to
CAO and contempt for communities who, against odds, dared to bring the issues
to the attention of CAO.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IFC passing the buck</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Betraying their indifference to the
affected communities as well as the findings of WBG’s own CAO, IFC continues to
support the company as ever before. They continue to defend their client, and
the ‘Factsheet’ posted on IFC’s website reads like a company CSR brochure! The
Factsheet parrots what the company is claiming to be doing in the villages without
even taking any effort to check facts. It is shameful not just because IFC is
risking its own credibility in defending their client and their actions, but is
trying to hide behind the purported CSR the company is doing and claiming that
everything is hunky dory. It also sends a strong message to communities around
the globe and to CAO that whatever the complaint is, whatever the CAO findings
are it is business as usual for IFC. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What Dr.Kim said in his public statement
of Dec 2013 that “these independent bodies (the Inspection Panel and CAO)
ensure that our policies are credibly and effectively applied. They open up a
channel for people affected by the World Bank Group financed investments and
give them an opportunity to be heard” is farcical. Neither are they heard, nor are
the findings of CAO acted upon is proved in the case of Tata Mundra.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Company’s false
claims</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">MASS did a thorough examination of all
the activities stated on companies website, which are referred to by IFC and
other financiers repeatedly to dodge accountability. What MASS found instead is
a shocking bunch of wish-list, twisted facts and imagination put together as
great CSR work undertaken in the villages.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The company tries hoodwink the financiers
and through a well-oiled Public Relations exercise on how it is improving the
lives of communities impacted by the project. The financiers, particularly the
IFC, is a victim of this is evident from their echoing what the company says. Strangely
enough, IFC fails to ask the company in what way spoken English courses and Bal
Pravetsov programme - distribution of educational kits to new entrants in the
school, school notebooks distribution, well recharging, drip demonstration, and
Promotion of local artisans through exposure visits and sponsoring of the
handicraft fair etc can mitigate the loss of livelihood of thousands of
fishwokers, or the destruction of mangroves and sand-dunes.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">More importantly, even the little the
company is claiming to be doing in the villages is not addressing the findings
of CAO. That the company is doing a set of such activities with little impact
on their livelihood and restoration of environmental damages is understandable,
and that they have been doing this for profits all along is beyond doubt. But,
what is surprising is how can IFC let their money be used, and then let it go unchecked
for these gross violations – both human rights and environmental?</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Looking more closely at their claims:</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<table border="1" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="MsoTableGrid" style="border-collapse: collapse; border: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-padding-alt: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; mso-yfti-tbllook: 1184;">
<tbody>
<tr style="mso-yfti-firstrow: yes; mso-yfti-irow: 0;">
<td style="border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">CGPL Claim<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn2" name="_ftnref2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></b></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a></span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
<td style="border-left: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Reality</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 1;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Residents of 15 villages in the Mundra
and Mandvi blocks of Kutch district of Gujarat state benefit from the
project’s community outreach initiatives. These initiatives aim to improve
education, promote health, build infrastructure, improve access to natural
resources, create livelihood opportunities, and empower women. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The company has only worked in 4
villages, out of the reported 15 villages. They are Tunda, Tunda Vandh, Mota
Kanbagara and Bhadiya. In the temporary settlement of fish-workers in badly
impacted Kutadi bandar, there is only a tent as school started long before –
that too run by a NGO, Yusuf Mehrauli Center. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sweet ground water
sources – a vital natural resource</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">, permanently damaged by CGPL
construction<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">. <o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Breathing related
health problems</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">
sharply increased due to coal dust & ash – little effort in mitigation. <b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Even agricultural
livelihoods badly affected</span></b><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> – Palm-dates & Sapota particularly badly.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 2;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Village-level development advisory
committees formed to ensure wider village participation in conceiving,
developing, and implementing improvement initiatives.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">While the claim looks like village
level committees are up and running in all 15 villages, in reality, they are
formed only in Tunda and Kanbagra villages. Another case of gross discrepancy
in numbers. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 3;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Fodder provided to dairy cattle through
the Gaushala initiative.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Again, it sounds like for the entire 15
villages. But this is done only in Tunda and Kanbagra. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">Even there it is not
sufficient to all the cattle since there are about 2500 cattle and CGPL
providing fodder for 1000 to 1300 cattle. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Clearly then, reality and claims have a
numerical disconnect. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 4;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Priority to local community members for
project-related jobs or contracts.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Only menial jobs are offered to locals.
And only few in numbers. Contract jobs were given to locals earlier during
construction phase, and now even they have dried up.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 5;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Community infrastructure through
construction of modern roads, stadium, community halls, drainage lines, clean
drinking water and sanitation, boat lights, and street lights.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Only in Tunda Vandh roads are made. The
reason of constructing the new road was because the old road was acquired for
for the project. Kanbagra has a cricket ground, but no stadium. Tunda and
Kanbagra have a community hall. Drainage lines are made by the government.
Bhadreshwar, Kanbagara and Tunda villages have one RO plant each for drinking
water. This is kept at the Panchayat house and Panchayat charges Rs. 5 / 20
liters. Tragdi Bandar has boat lights. Not any other. Tragdi Bandar has solar
street lights. No other village is provided claimed amenities and facilities by
the company.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 6;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Improved health facilities through
periodic medical camps.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Medical camps were held a few times. There
has been no further information on sending for diagnosis or treatment since. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 7;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">E-learning stations (computer kiosks)
in schools.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Computers given in 2-3 schools. Govt
also has schemes to do the same. </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 8;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Microfinance opportunities and training
for self-help groups.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">No Micro finance groups formed yet.<o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 9;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Drip irrigation, pond renovation, well
recharge, and check-dam programs.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">2-3 check dams made – in villages
Bhadiya and Tragadi. The interesting fact is that the company destroyed an
existing check dam to construct their power plant and CAG estimated a loss to
the Govt exchequer to the tune of Rs. 1.92 crore (Rs. 19.2 million).<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn3" name="_ftnref3" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn3;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[3]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>
No well recharging done yet </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: black; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-themecolor: text1;">and
nothing done for drip irrigation.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 10;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Better fishing nets to fisherfolk,
solar lights for fishing boats, and fishing equipment.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN">“The truth of
this claim could be gauged by the fact of dwindling of traditional
livelihood, depleting fish catch, and increasingly inaccessible fishing
grounds. These issues cannot be fixed with what company purports to be doing.
Money has indeed been distributed to 20-25 people in Modvani and Trugudi (or
Tragadi) Bandar, but there has been no distribution of fishing gear
whatsoever.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 11;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Sagarbandhu project for development of
fisherfolk in association with the Aga Khan Society for Rural Development
Program (India).</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">There is no AKRSP work in these villages
and nobody has paid a visit from AKRSP yet.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
<tr style="mso-yfti-irow: 12; mso-yfti-lastrow: yes;">
<td style="border-top: none; border: solid windowtext 1.0pt; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Addressing indebtedness and livelihood
enhancement for seasonal migrant fishing communities living near the plant in
association with Fisheries Management Resource Center, a non-governmental organization.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--><span style="background: white;"><o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
</td>
<td style="border-bottom: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-left: none; border-right: solid windowtext 1.0pt; border-top: none; mso-border-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-left-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; mso-border-top-alt: solid windowtext .5pt; padding: 0cm 5.4pt 0cm 5.4pt; width: 225.4pt;" valign="top" width="225"><div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Nothing has been done on this front. <o:p></o:p></span></div>
</td>
</tr>
</tbody></table>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Looking at the more detailed versions of
the activities<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn4" name="_ftnref4" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn4;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[4]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a>, one can only wonder how
has it escaped a critical referential analysis of the IFC? How has the IFC
missed out on company’s purpoted claims of improving the lives of the fishing
community? Isn’t this callous? <o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<span style="background: white;">It claims “striking the right balance between
development and climate change concerns is crucial and Mundra UMPP is a step in
that direction”, while the reality is that this single massive coal fired power
plant is adding about 31 million tons of carbon dioxide (if only high calorific
value imported coal is burned) to the atmosphere every year, as estimated by
Ernst & Young, making it India's 3rd largest point-source CO<sub>2</sub>
emitter. To put in perspective, entire CO<sub>2</sub> emission from a country
like Bangladesh, with 155 million+ people, is around 55 million tons (IEA
figure). <o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The company’s ‘development’ USP of cheap
/affordable power to millions – also publicized by IFC, fell flat on its face,
when CGPL forced a massive financial burden on its approximately 16 million (as
per its own claim) domestic consumers, by hiking tariffs by a huge 27%,
coercing CERC – the govt regulator – into permitting it to do that, and opening
the flood gates for other power plants to follow suit. The cascading effect of
this will be on small consumers in India.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">It claims that “CGPL will take up a massive tree
plantation programme on 430.4 acres of project land and a total of 1076000
trees of indigenous species will be planted” conceding that the company
acquired more land than it required. This was confirmed by the CAG as well. </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The company says, “Every year ‘Environment
Day’ is celebrated with great fervour and wide participation” as part of the
Environment Awareness Campaign. It holds a series of consultative dialogues
with village elected representatives, opinion leaders and the community at
large.” Formation of Self Help Groups (SHG) for those engaged in handicrafts-
Linkages with markets for sale and many such actions neither have any bearing on
any mitigation or action plans, nor can compensate the loss they have caused to
people and the environment.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">A visit to the area could clearly spell out the
hollowness of these claims. What is more fundamental is that these are only
claims, at best wishful thoughts, but at cross purposes with reality. The purpose
of putting this up on the website is to veil the reality for the financiers to
take note of and mislead the general public.</span><br />
<br />
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="background: white;">Violations
recognised by CAO neither acknowledged nor addressed by IFC.</span><o:p></o:p></b></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">What is very interesting is that IFC is
completely silent on the violations of its own policies identified by CAO in
its report. CAO had mentioned in their report of no social baseline data, that
IFC failed to ensure that its client’s E&S assessments adequately
considered the risks and impacts of the project on these fisher people, and
that IFC paid inadequate attention to the requirements of biodiversity
conservation and many others.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">President Dr. Kim wants these to be swept
under the carpet and move on, as if pretending that nothing happened? Or does
he intend to use this a learning opportunity to implement in future projects.
Where does the buck stop on this? Who takes responsibility to these heap of
violations? Or, are the ones responsible rewarded for doing ‘good business’,
thereby sending across a message to all staff that nothing in the Performance
Standards, or no findings of any CAO can check their actions and they will be
insulated from any possible harm?</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Background</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">CAO Findings</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">CAO found IFC made serious lapses in
funding Tata Mundra project. Some of the key findings are:</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· The Complainants, who are from a
religious minority and occupy a socially marginal position given their migrant
traditions, were not adequately considered as the (Environmental and Social)
E&S risks and impacts of the project were considered and addressed.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· There is no social baseline data in
relation to the fisher people who reside seasonally in the fishing villages. In
the absence of a baseline data IFC was not in a position to ensure the proper
application of IFC’s policies related to land acquisition, despite indications
that households living on the bunders have been displaced by the project (both
physically and economically).</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC failed to ensure that its client’s
(Tata) E&S assessments adequately considered the risks and impacts of the
project on these fisher people.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC paid inadequate attention to the
requirement of biodiversity conservation.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· Serious lapses in IFC’s review and
supervision of the impacts of the project on the airshed and marine
environment.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC has not ensured that its client
correctly applied the World Bank’s Thermal Power: Guidelines (1998) in that the
project airshed has not been defined as a degraded airshed—a classification
that brings with it a requirement that there will be no net increase in the
total emissions of particulates or sulphur dioxide within the airshed.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC’s process of E&S review was not
appropriate to the nature and scale of the project or commensurate to risk as
required by the Sustainability Policy (of IFC).</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC has not assured itself that the
plant’s seawater cooling system will comply with applicable IFC Environmental,
Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC’s E&S review paid inadequate
attention to ensuring that the project’s risks and impacts were “analyzed in
the context of [its] area of influence,” as required by Performance Standard 1
(of IFC), including “areas potentially impacted by cumulative impacts…from
project-related developments that are realistically defined at the time the
E&S assessment is undertaken.”</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">· IFC should have advised its client that
third-party E&S risk emerging from the project’s proximity and relationship
with Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone needed to be better assessed, with
mitigation measures developed.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Public Response</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">The rebuttal of IFC and Dr.Kim’s inaction
on the serious findings resulted in a series of public responses.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">68 groups from 28 countries across six
continents sent a letter to World Bank President Dr. Jim Yong Kim condemning
the World Bank Group’s continued support for a deadly coal project in Gujarat.
The letter said, “Mr. President, you must show that you are serious about your
statements at previous WB/IMF annual meetings on climate, accountability and
learning from past mistakes. The CAO found massive shortfalls at the IFC, showing
that the mechanisms to uncover such issues are working. However, while the Tata
Mundra project provided an opportunity to prove your commitment to learning
from these failures, your clearance of the IFC response continues the lack of
public accountability within the IFC.”
http://www.bicusa.org/groups-worldwide-join-indian-people-demanding-kim-pull-ifc-out-of-tata-coal-plant/</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Over a hundred prominent Indian
organisations expressed shock over World Bank President Dr. Jim Kim’s inaction
on the audit report on Tata Mundra Power Project in Gujarat, condemned it and
demanded International Finance Corporation’s (IFC) withdrawal from the project.</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">“People’s movements and their allies in India
are shocked that you have cleared the IFC Management’s response to the CAO
Audit Report on Tata Mundra Project,” the letter to the President said. “The
CAO findings warrant nothing less than IFC’s withdrawal from the project” they
added.</span><br />
<br />
<span style="background: white;">They added, “Your endorsement of IFC’s response
to CAO findings and thus letting IFC and the company continue the violations
merits nothing less than condemnation.” <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn5" name="_ftnref5" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn5;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[5]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> </span><br />
<span style="background: white;">An online petition with more than 28,000
signatures continues to gather support from people from different parts of the
globe. The letter urges Dr. Kim to Recognize IFC policy violations and the
serious impacts of its financing after CAO audit reconfirmed community’s
complaint; develop remedial action plan that has clear timeline, specific
targets and monitorable indicators that address restoration and reparation
needs; and withdraw IFC funding immediately from the Tata coal plant and do not
consider funding for project expansion. The petition, with 24,000 signatures
were delivered by MASS General Secretary Bharat Patel to the Executive
Directors of World Bank in April 2014 <a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftn6" name="_ftnref6" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn6;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; font-family: Calibri; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">[6]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></a> </span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IFC action plan and
statement</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A month after CAO report release and a
public outlash, IFC released a statement and a supposed action plan. The local
organisation MASS rejected it. They said, “The 1.5 page statement and action
plan on Tata Mundra issued by IFC CEO Jin-Yong Cai is a non-serious,
non-committal one, and issued under duress from the growing criticism of IFC’s
/ World Bank President Kim’s inaction on CAO’s findings of serious social and
environmental violations. It’s empty and a non-starter. By issuing this, IFC is
trying to confuse the public, making a mockery of communities’ concerns and yet
again, undermine CAO and its findings. While some of the action plan stated are
listing of actions taken pre-CAO time, some other are just suggestions,
resulting in nothing particular. Eg: household level socio-economic survey,
health survey and testing of ash residue for radioactivity and heavy metals.
The action plan fails to say what happens after these surveys and testing.
There are no timelines, no specific targets or indicators. Significantly, the
statement says that it will bank on the expertise of the company, whose
violations are in question.”</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Kim’s response</span></b><b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">A few weeks later, Dr. Kim himself issued
a statement in response to the “concerns expressed by the CSOs about several
projects supported by World Bank Group” without naming Tata Mundra. MASS
responded to it saying, “Since this was the first statement from you on a report
made public by CAO six weeks back, we were expecting a much clearer statement,
acknowledging the findings of CAO, laying out a road map for mitigation for the
damages already caused and some bold measures, sending a clear message to the
staff as well as clients, that you are serious about safeguard policies and
there is zero tolerance for its violations. You disappointed us, again, Dr.
Kim. Disappointment because you missed the point, chose to act weak and made a
mockery of all that communities have been saying about impacts.”</span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">May 2014<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
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<!--StartFragment-->
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<div id="ftn1" style="mso-element: footnote;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn1;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[1]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-IN"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">IFC has
summarised nicely all CSR activities and proudly displayed it on their website,
under a question ‘Has the project supported local communities, including
fishing communities, near the project site?’ : </span><span lang="EN-IN"><a href="http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/region__ext_content/regions/south+asia/countries/frequently+asked+questions"><span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">http://www.ifc.org/wps/wcm/connect/region__ext_content/regions/south+asia/countries/frequently+asked+questions</span></a></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[if !supportLineBreakNewLine]--><br style="mso-special-character: line-break;" />
<!--[endif]--></span><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<div id="ftn2" style="mso-element: footnote;">
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<a href="https://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874#_ftnref2" name="_ftn2" style="mso-footnote-id: ftn2;" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN"><span style="mso-special-character: footnote;"><!--[if !supportFootnotes]--><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: Calibri; font-size: 10.0pt; mso-ansi-language: EN-IN; mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-bidi-language: AR-SA; mso-fareast-font-family: Calibri; mso-fareast-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;">[2]</span></span><!--[endif]--></span></span></span></a><span lang="EN-IN"> </span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">For
details about CSR activities: </span><span lang="EN-IN"><a href="http://www.tatapower.com/cgpl-mundra/csr.aspx"><span style="background: white; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;">http://www.tatapower.com/cgpl-mundra/csr.aspx</span></a></span><span lang="EN-IN" style="background: white; color: #222222; mso-ascii-font-family: Calibri; mso-ascii-theme-font: minor-latin; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-hansi-font-family: Calibri; mso-hansi-theme-font: minor-latin;"> </span><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-37010961086495020642014-03-04T13:59:00.001+05:302014-03-04T13:59:58.308+05:30Tata Mundra: IFC’s Action Plan on CAO report is empty, is a non-starter<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<br />Tata Mundra: IFC’s Action Plan on CAO report is empty, is a non-starter<br /><br />We reject this statement and action plan.<br /><br />The <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/documents/IFCCGPLStatementandActionPlan.pdf">1.5 page statement</a> and action plan on Tata Mundra issued by IFC CEO Jin-Yong Cai is a non-serious, non-committal one, and issued under duress from the growing criticism of IFC’s / World Bank President Kim’s inaction on CAO’s findings of serious social and environmental violations. It’s empty and a non-starter. By issuing this, IFC is trying to confuse the public, making a mockery of communities’ concerns and yet again, undermine CAO and its findings.<br /><br />While some of the action plan stated are listing of actions taken pre-CAO time, some other are just suggestions, resulting in nothing particular. Eg: household level socio-economic survey, health survey and testing of ash residue for radioactivity and heavy metals. The action plan fails to say what happens after these surveys and testing. There are no timeline, no specific targets or indicators. Significantly, the statement says that it will bank on the expertise of the company, whose violations are in question.<br /><br />Importantly, the statement is silent on IFC’s violations of its own policies, listed by the CAO. CAO, in its report issued last month found that:<br /><br /> · Environmental and Social risks and impacts of the project were not considered and addressed.<br /><br /> · There is no social baseline data <br /><br /> · IFC’s policies for land acquisition not applied, despite physical and economic displacement<br /><br /> · Inadequate attention paid to the requirement of biodiversity conservation.<br /><br /> · IFC failed in its review and supervision of the impacts on airshed & marine environment.<br /><br /> · IFC failed to examine the cumulative impact of projects around Tata Mundra<br /><br />CAO concluded that “…the above weaknesses in IFC’s E&S review of CGPL did not support the formation of a robust view as to whether the project could be expected to meet the requirements of the Performance Standards over a reasonable period of time, the threshold question in terms of IFC’s decision to invest.”<br /><br />The statement or the action plan fails to address any of these.<br /><br />It is baffling that President Kim is still reluctant to take any action on the findings, and leave it to IFC, the violator, to be its own judge. He does not hold anyone accountable for the violations. Rather, he is putting precedence to his own staff and other clients, that violations will be tolerated and, maybe even, rewarded!<br /><br />We reject this statement and action plan. This is only an attempt to obfuscate the liability and making mockery of communities’ concerns.<br /><br />We, along with our allies and well-wishers in India and across the globe reiterate our demands:<br /><br />· take appropriate actions to address the findings of CAO, starting with a remedial action plan to mitigate the impacts already shown on the ground and <br /><br /> · the withdrawal of IFC financing from the Tata Mundra coal project.<br /><br />Bharat Patel<br />General Secretary<br />Machimar Adhikaar Sangharsh Sangathan<br />Blog: <a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/">http://masskutch.blogspot.in/</a><br /><br />Contact: +91-9426469803<br /><br /> </div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-35999955825721746592014-02-25T16:57:00.000+05:302014-02-26T09:24:59.320+05:30Statement of Machimar Adhikar Sangarsh Sangathan on the CERC order on tariff revision of Tata Mundra project<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-size: large;"><b>Statement of Machimar Adhikar Sangarsh Sangathan on the CERC order on tariff revision of Tata Mundra project</b></span><br />
<br />
Mundra: February 25, 2014<br />
<br />
We are shocked at the Central Electricity Regulatory Commission’s (CERC) compensation order of last week, for Tata Power’s 4000-megawatt Mundra ultra mega power project (UMPP) in Gujarat to make up for the increase in cost of imported coal. <br />
<br />
As per the order, state power utilities will now be compensated with 52 paise per KwH tariff hike over the next 12 months. The Mundra UMPP, which is partly financed by International Finance Corporation (IFC), Asian Development Bank (ADB), Korean ExIm Bank and others, supplies power to five states – Gujarat, Maharashtra, Haryana, Rajasthan and Punjab.<br />
<br />
In 2011, Tata Power, along with Adani Power, had requested CERC for a tariff hike after the Government in Indonesia – from where both companies import most of their coal requirements at Mundra – hiked the cost of coal to an international benchmark, making it costlier to import. Order on the Adani plant is not yet out.<br />
<b><br />Consumers paying for bad business decisions</b><br />
By this order CERC is passing on the cost of bad business decisions made by the companies to the consumer. Procurement of coal, machinery or technology is entirely in the purview of the companies and the consumer cannot be held liable for any bad decisions made by them. The consumers cannot be made to pay for Indonesia hiking its coal prices, nor can she be held responsible if company’s forecast of profits backfired. <br />
<b><br />Bad precedence & invalidating PPAs</b><br />
By revising the tariff, CERC has made a bad precedence. There is no way that CERC can now not review the Power Purchasing Agreement (PPA) made between other companies and state utilities. By some estimates, the decision has paved the way for around 48,000 MW worth of generation capacities, which inked long-term deals through fixed tariff-based bidding, to seek a price revision.<br />
<br />
Bids are won for these projects by quoting the lowest tariff and once secured the project, they move CERC and revise the tariff. Reliance Power owned Sasan project has already approached CERC to renegotiate tariff citing expensive foreign currency borrowings and the rupee’s fall. This order is an invitation for companies to swindle the people. <br />
<br />
<b>Real Costs not accounted yet</b><br />
However, the real costs of coal projects, particularly the Mundra project of Adani and Tata, cannot be calculated unless the social and environmental costs are accounted. Livelihood of thousands of fisherpeople are getting affected by these projects; mangroves and mudflats are destroyed; fly ash and coal dust is impacting the dry fish, salt-pan, horticulture, animals grazing on coal infested grass and the health of elderly and children.<br />
<br />
In a report which detailed IFC’s violation while financing the Tata Mundra project, the independent recourse mechanism of IFC, Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) observed:<br />
<br />
“IFC’s review of its client’s (Environmental and Social) E&S assessments was not commensurate with the risk involved. IFC paid insufficient attention to the requirements of the Performance Standards. IFC should have required that its client commission additional E&S assessment in order to ensure compliance. IFC did not pay adequate attention to verifying whether pre-project consultation requirements were met. IFC failed to assure itself that directly affected fishing communities were engaged in effective consultation. IFC’s E&S review regarding marine impact did not meet the due diligence requirements set out in the Sustainability Policy. IFC has failed to ensure that its client has correctly applied the requirements of the Thermal Power Guidelines. IFC failed to meet the requirements of the Sustainability Policy despite sufficient indications of project-related displacement (both physical and economic) as to require objective assessment. IFC should have advised that CGPL’s consideration of cumulative impact needed to go beyond that contained in the SEIA. IFC is unable to demonstrate that its client’s monitoring is commensurate to risk.”<br />
<br />
After IFC, the Board of Directors of ADB approved the recommendation of its accountability mechanism, the Compliance Review Panel (CRP) for full investigation, as published in its Eligibility Report. <br />
<br />
In its report, CRP says, “The CRP finds prima facie evidence of noncompliance with ADB policies and procedures, and prima facie evidence that this noncompliance with ADB policies has led to harm or is likely to lead to future harm. Given the evidence of noncompliance… the CRP concludes that the noncompliance is serious enough to warrant a full compliance review.”<br />
<br />
Unless these serious issues are taken into account, the real cost of the project can never be calculated. All that CERC is doing will only result in giving undue benefit to the companies, at the cost of consumers. By doing this, CERC is committing a dereliction of their duties to be a fair and impartial regulator.<br />
<br />
<b>Wrong planning</b><br />
One cannot ignore the fact that this is happening because of misplaced priorities, wrong planning and poor integration. While the Integrated Energy Policy 2012 estimates that by 2032 power demand could reach nearly 7.8 lakh MW, where the share of coal is expected to be 47%, the Ministry of Environment and Forests have already cleared or are in the process of clearing coal projects with capacity of 7 lakh MW – almost 90% of the total demand. Such unplanned, unregulated expansion of projects can only lead into situations where companies fight for bigger share of profits and consumers are left to the mercy of these companies.<br />
<br />
Contact: <br />
Bharat Patel - +91-9426469803<br />
Joe Athialy - +91-9871153775<br />
<br />
<a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/">http://masskutch.blogspot.in/</a> </div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-1216723028342707402014-01-23T16:55:00.004+05:302014-01-23T16:58:36.162+05:30After World Bank, Asian Development Bank to Investigate Tata Mundra<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="font-size: small;">Press statement<br />Mundra, Gujarat: January 23, 2014<b><br /><br />After World Bank,
Asian Development Bank to Investigate Tata Mundra:<br />Finds <i>Prima Facie</i> Evidence of Noncompliance
with ADB Policies.</b><br /><br />Three months after Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) – the independent
accountability mechanism of World Bank Group’s private sector arm International
Finance Corporation (IFC) – <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/TermsofReference_CGPLAudit_October242012.pdf">published
its scathing report</a> on the serious violations of IFC policies in its
investment in Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL – Tata Mundra), another
co-financier of the project, the Asian Development Bank (ADB) decided to
investigate the policy violations while financing the 4000 MW coal plant in
Mundra, Gujarat.<br /><br />The Board of Directors of ADB <a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/Mundra%20Board%20Decision%20on%20Authorization%20of%20Compliance%20Review.pdf/$FILE/Mundra%20Board%20Decision%20on%20Authorization%20of%20Compliance%20Review.pdf">approved
the recommendation</a> of its accountability mechanism, the Compliance Review
Panel (CRP) for full investigation, as published in its <a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/CRP%20Mundra%20Eligibility%20Report%2020Jan%20FINAL%20Edited%20Managements%20Response.pdf/$FILE/CRP%20Mundra%20Eligibility%20Report%2020Jan%20FINAL%20Edited%20Managements%20Response.pdf">Eligibility
Report</a>.<br /><br />ADB has invested US $450 million in the project. Other
investors include IFC, Korean ExIm Bank, PNB Paribas, State Bank of India,
HUDCO and India Infrastructure Finance Company Ltd.<br /><br />In its report, CRP says, “The CRP finds prima facie evidence
of noncompliance with ADB policies and procedures, and prima facie evidence that
this noncompliance with ADB policies has led to harm or is likely to lead to
future harm. Given the evidence of noncompliance… the CRP concludes that the
noncompliance is serious enough to warrant a full compliance review.”<a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/"><br /><br />Machimar Adhikar
Sangharsh Sangathan</a> (MASS – Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’
Rights) welcomes the investigation. MASS submitted a <a href="http://compliance.adb.org/dir0035p.nsf/attachments/complaint-mundra-ultra-mega-power-project.pdf/$FILE/complaint-mundra-ultra-mega-power-project.pdf">complaint
to CRP</a> in October last year.<br /><br />Responding to the significant victory of people’s struggle,
MASS’ General Secretary Dr. Bharat Patel said, “We welcome the full
investigation by CRP. After having received a confirmation of our concerns by
CAO, we hope an independent and indepth investigation by CRP will further reconfirm
our concerns and actions will be taken on the findings.”</span><span style="font-size: small;"><br /><br />In October last year, CAO published its finding after a year-long
process of investigation. CAO found that environmental
and social risks and impacts of the project were not considered and addressed; there
was no social baseline data; IFC’s policies for land acquisition were not
applied despite physical and economic displacement; inadequate attention was paid
to the requirement of biodiversity conservation; IFC failed in its review and
supervision of the impacts on airshed & marine environment and IFC failed
to examine the cumulative impact of projects around Tata Mundra.<br /><br />Despite such scathing findings, and </span><span style="font-size: small;"><a href="http://www.bicusa.org/groups-worldwide-join-indian-people-demanding-kim-pull-ifc-out-of-tata-coal-plant/">growing
global criticism</a> for IFC’s continued support to
Tata Mundra, World Bank President Dr. Jim Kim refuses to take any appropriate
action.<br /><br />In its Eligibility Report, CRP found the following
evidence of noncompliance: ADB held insufficient public consultations; the
project-affected area is defined erroneously; CGPL discharges water at a higher
temperature than is allowed by ADB standards; ADB’s air emission standards are
not met; insufficient cumulative impact assessments; flawed social and
environmental impact assessments; harmful effects of the cooling system on the
environment and the fish harvest; inaccessibility of fishing grounds and
effects of coal-dust emissions.<br /><br />ADB management in its response tried to discredit the
complainants, questioned their <i>locus
standi </i>and defended its investment and actions of its client.<br /><br />“This is certainly a move in the right direction,” said
Madhuresh Kumar, national organisor of National Alliance of People’s Movements.
“At a time when corporations, in collusion with corrupt politicians and
supported by financiers both national and international, plunder national
resources and are not accountable to anyone, ADB reviewing its policy
compliance in Tata Mundra gives hope that people’s concerns will be looked
into. We hope appropriate and timely actions will be taken on the findings,” he
added.<br /><br />“We hope the World Bank President will take note of the CRP
report. It’s not just his own CAO who have reconfirmed our concerns, but now
even CRP has done it. How long can he pretend not to see this growing evidence
of noncompliance by Tata Mundra? He should take bold actions in Tata Mundra and
walk his talk on climate change,” Dr. Patel said.<b><br /><br />Contacts:</b><br />Bharat Patel (Gujarat): +91-9426469803<br />Joe Athialy (New Delhi): +91-9871153775<br />Rayyan Hassan (Manila): </span><span style="background: none repeat scroll 0% 0% white; font-size: small;">+63-9175117002</span></div>
</div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-61308598836450603222013-12-17T12:58:00.002+05:302013-12-17T13:00:39.981+05:30Civil Society Calls the Bluff of World Bank Accountability<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
For Immediate Release</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
New Delhi: December 17, 2013</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Civil Society Calls
the Bluff of World Bank Accountability</b></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
“Response of World Bank President Jim Kim is evasive and
does not even recognize the finding of the report on Tata Mundra,” noted social
activist Medha Patkar said. She was speaking at a discussion yesterday on the World
Bank and its accountability in the context of the recent reports on Tata Mundra
project. “The current stalemate is that of the president versus the Compliance Advisor
Ombudsman (CAO), as he has not given any heed to the findings of CAO,” she
said.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Member of Parliament Mani Shankar Aiyer said “Development
without consideration for environment and people is pointless.” He decried government
policies which give big corporations tax concessions, which is glorified in the
name of stimulus, while the same done to the farmers and marginalised is called
subsidies. </div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
The meeting was held in the context of the recent report by
World Bank’s accountability mechanism, which reported Bank’s own policy
violations by its private sector arm, International Finance Corporation (IFC)
which financing the Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL – Tata Mundra) project.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;">CAO in its report said that <span style="mso-themecolor: text1; mso-themetint: 242;">Environmental and
Social risks and impacts of the project were not considered and addressed; There
is <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">no social baseline data</span>; IFC’s
policies for land acquisition not applied, despite physical and economic
displacement; <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">Inadequate attention paid
to the requirement</span> <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">of
biodiversity conservation</span>; IFC failed in its <span style="mso-bidi-font-weight: bold;">review and supervision of the impacts on airshed & marine environment</span>;
and IFC failed to examine the cumulative impact of projects around Tata Mundra.</span></span><span lang="EN-US"></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Earlier speaking about the inequity which is promoted by the
World Bank, noted economist Prof Arun Kumar said “World Bank does not have one
line of operation but have one underlying principle, i.e., marketization of
natural resources.” He further said, “the notion that private efficient and
hence market needs preference puts the question of equity secondary. The
questions of efficiency and equity are opposing. Rationality is dominated by
profits and greed is justified.”</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Energy expert Soumya Dutta, local community leaders Ayub
Haji and Bharat Patel also spoke at the meeting.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">MASS Responds to Dr.
Kim’s statement</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Responding to the <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments.print">statement
issued by Dr. Kim</a> MASS said, “<span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">By
not standing firm behind your accountability mechanisms and their findings, you
are undermining their legitimacy and playing into the hands of the ones inside
the Bank and outside who find these mechanisms to be a distraction for their
smooth running of business.” Drawing parallels between the Morse Committee Report
on Narmada dam (Sardar Sarovar) and of CAO on Tata Mundra, the <a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/2013_12_01_archive.html#2984461388647718201">statement
from MASS</a> said that the president is “following the same strategy which the
then President </span><span style="background: white; mso-bidi-font-family: Arial; mso-themecolor: text1;">Lewis Preston, who constituted Morse
Committee followed – pretending that you have not seen the findings.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;"><span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">IFC & World Bank President Evading
Responsibility</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<span style="mso-bidi-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Not
once but twice now, the International Finance Corporation (IFC) has shown
leniency in coming to terms with Compliance Advisor Ombudsman’s (CAO) audit
report on TATA Mundra. After the CAO pointed that IFC has violated its social
and environmental guidelines in its financing the project, the private arm of
the World Bank rejected the audit report findings. The rejection was
subsequently endorsed by the World Bank Group President, Dr. Jim Yong Kim, who
did not prescribe any remedial action for IFC to take. </span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;">When the pressure started to mount with
International and National Organizations coming together to question this
inaction on Dr. Kim’s part, the President instructed his senior staff to have a
forward looking statement from the IFC on the issue. This statement turned out
to be a damp squib, a non-starter, non-committal, and non-serious. Written in
an evasive language, it only breeds confusion, keeping the community’s concerns
at bay and undermining CAO’s findings. </span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">What is striking in the statement is the
noticeable absence of IFC’s roles and responsibilities, with the major chunk of
these delegated to Costal Gujarat Power Limited, the TATA subsidiary running
the project. </span></div>
<div style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<br /></div>
<div style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;">Silence of the President of the WBG goes
on to prove that he is either helping IFC absolve itself from responsibilities,
or is unable to do anything more than undermine the credibility of internal
mechanisms like the CAO. Either ways, the legitimacy of his tall claims of
renewable energy could be jeopardized if he continues to remain silent on a
thermal project that is not only environmentally fragile, but financially in
woes. </span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
Contact: Bharat Patel <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>- +91-9426469803</div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<b style="mso-bidi-font-weight: normal;">Background:</b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpFirst" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">a.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">CAO Audit Report: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CAOAuditReportC-I-R6-Y12-F160.pdf"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/CAOAuditReportC-I-R6-Y12-F160.pdf</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">b.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">IFC Response to CAO report: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IFCresponsetoCAOAudit-CoastalGujaratPowerLimited.pdf"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/IFCresponsetoCAOAudit-CoastalGujaratPowerLimited.pdf</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">c.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Key findings and observations: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Key-Observations-and-Findings.pdf"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/Key-Observations-and-Findings.pdf</span></a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">d.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Press note of MASS: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MASS-Press-Release-10-24-131.pdf"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2013/10/MASS-Press-Release-10-24-131.pdf</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">e.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Indian organisations’ letter to World Bank President: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/over-100-organizations-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-from-tata-mundra/"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/over-100-organizations-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-from-tata-mundra/</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">f.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">International organisations’ letter to World Bank
President: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/groups-worldwide-join-indian-people-demanding-kim-pull-ifc-out-of-tata-coal-plant/"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/groups-worldwide-join-indian-people-demanding-kim-pull-ifc-out-of-tata-coal-plant/</span></a>
</span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">g.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Facebook page: <a href="https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wake-Up-Kim/677682028922900"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">https://www.facebook.com/pages/Wake-Up-Kim/677682028922900</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">h.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">MASS letter to World Bank President Dr. Kim: <a href="http://www.bicusa.org/local-gujarati-group-sends-letter-to-dr-kim-urging-withdrawal-from-tata-mundra/"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.bicusa.org/local-gujarati-group-sends-letter-to-dr-kim-urging-withdrawal-from-tata-mundra/</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpMiddle" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">i.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">World Bank President Dr.Jim Kim’s statement: <a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments.print"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments.print</span></a></span></div>
<div class="MsoListParagraphCxSpLast" style="color: orange; font-family: Times,"Times New Roman",serif; margin-left: 0cm; text-indent: -18pt;">
<span style="font-size: 11pt;"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">j.<span style="-moz-font-feature-settings: normal; -moz-font-language-override: normal; font-size-adjust: none; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11pt;">MASS’ reply to Dr. Jim Kim: <a href="http://masskutch.blogspot.in/2013_12_01_archive.html#2984461388647718201"><span style="mso-themecolor: text1;">http://masskutch.blogspot.in/2013_12_01_archive.html#2984461388647718201</span></a></span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-29844613886477182012013-12-16T11:55:00.000+05:302014-03-07T15:41:02.703+05:30MASS Replies to World Bank President Dr. Jim Kim's Statement<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">December 14, 2013<br /><br />Dear Dr. Kim,<br /><br />It was with great interest that we received</span><a href="http://www.worldbank.org/en/news/press-release/2013/12/09/statement-world-bank-group-jim-yong-kim-civil-society-private-sector-investments"><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;"> your statement issued early this week, </span></a><span style="font-family: Georgia, "Times New Roman", serif;">in response to the “concerns expressed by the CSOs about several projects supported by World Bank Group”. We hope one of those projects is the Coastal Gujarat Power Ltd (CGPL – Tata Mundra).<br /><br />We make this assumption because we know that many prominent citizens from different parts of the world wrote to you, expressing concerns at your inaction on the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) report on Tata Mundra. Those include people representing 102 organisations from India, another 68 organisations from 28 countries, and host of emails and regular mail.<br /><br />Since this was the first statement from you on a report made public by CAO six weeks back, we were expecting a much clearer statement, acknowledging the findings of CAO, laying out a road map for mitigation for the damages already caused and some bold measures, sending a clear message to the staff as well as clients, that you are serious about safeguard policies and there is zero tolerance for its violations. You disappointed us, again, Dr. Kim. Disappointment because you missed the point, chose to act weak and made a mockery of all that communities have been saying about impacts.<br /><br />We will keep the discussion on how private corporations can contribute to “transformative projects” for another day. We have a very different experience and view from what you have on that. It may suffice to state that you can no longer fool anyone with hollow and empty rhetoric – “aligning our operations with our goals of ending extreme poverty by 2030”, “ boosting shared prosperity”, “help the poor lift themselves out of poverty”, “end extreme poverty” and “build shared prosperity”.<br /><br />In your statement you have elucidated about Bank’s past experiences, claiming it to have benefitted the poor. Our experience in India is different. Particularly two projects, Narmada dam and Singrauli power project which the Bank financed some three decades back are worth mentioning. Bank’s financing undermined the national policies and statutory requirements (Bank approved funding for Narmada dam two years before the Ministry of Environment and Forests gave its clearance); displaced hundreds of thousands of people, a large majority of them are still awaiting rehabilitation; and in both cases, Bank rescued itself from any responsibility some years later, leaving the people high and dry. While the magnitude of damage of both environment and people were too high in these projects, the experience in other projects was not any different.<br /><br />The first accountability mechanism of the Bank, the Inspection Panel was an outcome of a relentless struggle by the people of Narmada valley, along with their allies from different parts of the globe. You may know that in 1991 the Independent Review Committee (Morse Committee) was the first independent committee constituted by the Bank to review a project it financed. The findings of the committee were revealing. It said:<br /><br />“The Bank and India both failed to carry out adequate assessments of human impacts of the Sardar Sarovar (Narmada) Project.<br /><br />“There was virtually no basis, in 1985, on which to determine what the impacts were, that would have to be ameliorated.<br /><br />“This inadequate understanding was compounded by a failure to consult the people potentially to be affected.<br /><br />“…the Bank failed to take adequate account of the fact that a large proportion of those at risk from the development of the Sardar Sarovar Projects are tribal people.<br /><br />“In these and other ways, the Bank failed to follow the principles and policies it set out…<br /><br />“The Bank failed to consider the effects of the Projects on people living downstream of the dam.<br /><br />“There has been no comprehensive environmental assessment of the canal and water delivery system in the command area.<br /><br />“We think the Sardar Sarovar Projects as they stand are flawed, that resettlement and rehabilitation of all those displaced by the Projects is not possible under prevailing circumstances, and that environmental impacts of the Projects have not been properly considered or adequately addressed.<br /><br />“Moreover we believe that the Bank shares responsibility with the borrower for the situation that has developed... it seems clear that engineering and economic imperatives have driven the Projects to the exclusion of human and environmental concerns... India and the states involved... have spent a great deal of money. No one wants to see this money wasted.<br /><br />“But we caution that it may be more wasteful to proceed without full knowledge of the human and environmental costs. We have decided that it would be irresponsible for us to patch together a series of recommendations on implementation when the flaws in the Projects are as obvious as they seem to us.<br /><br />“As a result, we think that the wisest course would be for the Bank to step back from the Projects and consider them afresh. The failure of the bank's incremental strategy should be acknowledged."<br /><br />Dr. Kim, doesn’t it ring a bell when you read this? Didn’t CAO say something very similar, sans, recommendations, which it is not mandated to make? CAO after its audit on Tata Mundra said:<br /><br />“The Complainants, who are from a religious minority and occupy a socially marginal position given their migrant traditions, were not adequately considered as the (Environmental and Social) E&S risks and impacts of the project were considered and addressed.<br /><br />“There is no social baseline data in relation to the fisher people who reside seasonally in the fishing villages. In the absence of a baseline data IFC was not in a position to ensure the proper application of IFC’s policies related to land acquisition, despite indications that households living on the bunders have been displaced by the project (both physically and economically).<br /><br />“IFC failed to ensure that its client’s E&S assessments adequately considered the risks and impacts of the project on these fisher people.<br /><br />“IFC paid inadequate attention to the requirement of biodiversity conservation.<br /><br />“Serious lapses in IFC’s review and supervision of the impacts of the project on the airshed and marine environment.<br /><br />“ IFC has not ensured that its client correctly applied the World Bank’s Thermal Power: Guidelines (1998) in that the project airshed has not been defined as a degraded airshed—a classification that brings with it a requirement that there will be no net increase in the total emissions of particulates or sulphur dioxide within the airshed.<br /><br />“IFC’s process of E&S review was not appropriate to the nature and scale of the project or commensurate to risk as required by the Sustainability Policy.<br /><br />“IFC has not assured itself that the plant’s seawater cooling system will comply with applicable IFC Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.<br /><br />“IFC’s E&S review paid inadequate attention to ensuring that the project’s risks and impacts were “analyzed in the context of [its] area of influence,” as required by Performance Standard 1 (of IFC), including “areas potentially impacted by cumulative impacts…from project-related developments that are realistically defined at the time the E&S assessment is undertaken.”<br /><br />“IFC should have advised its client that third-party E&S risk emerging from the project’s proximity and relationship with Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone needed to be better assessed, with mitigation measures developed.”<br /><br />Dr.Kim do you need more reasons from anybody on why you should take bold steps on Tata Mundra? If findings of your own mechanism are not convincing enough, what else on earth can convince you?<br /><br />The statement and the so called action plan issued by IFC CEO Jin-Yong Cai shows only how non-serious IFC is about the findings of CAO. After rebutting all that CAO has reported, they issued this, which is nothing but to confuse the public, making a mockery of communities’ concerns and yet again, undermine CAO and its findings.<br /><br />As we mentioned in a statement earlier, “While some of the action plan stated are listing of actions taken pre-CAO time, some other are just suggestions, resulting in nothing particular. There are no timeline, no specific targets or indicators. Significantly, the statement says that it will bank on the expertise of the company, whose violations are in question. The statement is silent on IFC’s violations of its own policies, listed by the CAO”.<br /><br />By you not taking any action on the findings of CAO, you are sending out a message to your clients and staff that you are non-serious about safeguard policies. That any violation of the policies will not alter the course of IFC’s current financing, or future investments. If the purpose of it is only ornamental, why are you investing time and resources in reviewing the safeguard policies? If not to be acted upon, if there is no political will to implement them steadfastly, the policies and its review, both are a sham.<br /><br />By not standing firm behind your accountability mechanisms and their findings, you are undermining their legitimacy and playing into the hands of the ones inside the Bank and outside who find these mechanisms to be a distraction for their smooth running of business. By ignoring the findings of CAO, Dr.Kim, how can “the CAO and the Inspection Panel enhance our impact and help us further improve our effectiveness?”<br /><br />You seem to be following the same strategy which the then President Lewis Preston, who constituted Morse Committee followed – pretending that you have not seen the findings. However we are hopeful, since Preston withdrew financing after a year of the report, having faced the wrath of people around the globe.<br /><br />In hope,<br /><br />Bharat Patel,<br />General Secretary,<br />Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan</span></div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-27146396209365367062013-11-22T17:58:00.001+05:302013-11-22T17:58:46.882+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 22pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch<a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Manch%20letter%20to%20Kutch%20DC%20on%20World%20Fisheries%20Day.docx#_ftn1" name="_ftnref1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><b><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 22pt;">[1]</span></b></span></span></a><o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 18pt;"><span style="color: white;">(Forum for Protection of Rights in Mundra) <o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><i><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mundra Taluka, Kutch District, Gujarat<o:p></o:p></span></span></i></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">21<sup>st</sup> November 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Shri Harshad Patel<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">District Collector, Kutch District<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Bhuj, Gujarat<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Subject:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">District Level Implementation of the critical clauses of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 2011 notification.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Dear Shri Patel,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Greetings on World Fisheries day from the members of the Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch. We are a forum of affected people and mass based organisations who have been raising concerns related to large scale industrial expansion in the Mundra region of Kutch district of Gujarat. While we have been raising concerns at an individual level in our villages we have now come together as part of the <i>Mundra Hitrakshak Manch</i>.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">As you are aware, the Kutch coast is not just a unique ecological hotspot but its vast inter-tidal zone and inland areas have support a variety of livelihoods. These include artisanal fishing, salt production, agriculture, animal husbandry (including pastoralists) and horticulture. We believe that it is only with our collective efforts and through active implementation of our existing laws and policies we will be able to ensure sustainable development along the Kutch coast. It is for this we look forward to your immediate and continued cooperation.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-size: 11pt;">As you are aware, the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 in its Clause 6 (c ) has the specific provision for setting up District Level Coastal Committees (DLCC) to assist the Coastal Zone Management Authority (CZMA) of the state in enforcement</span><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size: 11pt;"> and monitoring of the CRZ notification. The order of 14<sup>th</sup> October 2013 by the CZMA lists out the possible composition of the DLCC and a wide range of functions for the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">As Chairman of this DLCC, we do hope you would take the lead in setting up a vibrant and active DLCC for livelihood protection and conservation of the Kutch coast. The Manch and its members will be extremely happy to work on and with the DLCC in all its activities and we would like to extend our full support to the district administration for the same.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 11pt;">We would request you to call for a meeting of the DLCC as soon as possible and expand the scope of local participation in the same. While the CRZ notification, 2011 mandates that a minimum of three representatives from the fishing community should be part of the DLCC, we hope given the vastness and diversity of the Kutch coast, there would be a possibility to expand the scope of participation. We hope that the Kutch DLCC will be able to find representation of different occupations of the coastal people residing in CRZ areas as well as many more fishing community representatives, especially</span></span><br />
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">those practicing artisanal fisheries.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">We also hope that through your initiative, the DLCC will also be able to a play a significant and path-breaking role ensuring a leadership role for the DLCC in the preparation of the Coastal Zone Management Plan (CZMP) for Kutch. This will be crucial input into the state level CZMP being prepared by the Gujarat CZMA. We, the members of the Mundra Hit RakshakManch would be keen to participate actively in the preparation of the CZMP, which can become a vision document for the Kutch coast.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">We would also like to share with you that we have recently been part of a day long training program and discussion on the CRZ notification, 2011 organised by UjjasMahilaSangathan in Mundra. Representatives from Namati-Centre for Policy Research Environment Justice Program who have put together simple and pictorial material on the CRZ notification were also part of this discussion. We take this opportunity to share copies of the Gujarati and English material with you, which we have found useful. We hope that as District Collector you can consider directing similar programs along the Kutch coast where we, and our network members knowledgeable about this law can actively participate.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">We look forward to your response, cooperation and working together for the protection of local livelihoods and sustainable development of the Kutch coast.<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Sincerely,<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Haji Ayub Osman Majalia Haresh Shamji Mahraj<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">Bharat Patel Abhu Kasu Manjaliya<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;">MASS, Kutch Bhadreshwar Village<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Encl:</span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">Legal Awareness material related to CRZ Notification, 2013<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">CC: </span></b><span style="font-size: 11pt;">1. Hardik Shah, Member Secretary, Gujarat CZMA<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"> 2. V. Rajagopalan, Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 11pt;"><span style="color: white;"> 2. E. Thirunavukkarasu, Additional Director, Ministry of Environment and Forests<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><a href="file:///C:/Users/User/Downloads/Manch%20letter%20to%20Kutch%20DC%20on%20World%20Fisheries%20Day.docx#_ftnref1" name="_ftn1" title=""><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-size: 10pt;"><span class="MsoFootnoteReference"><span style="font-family: 'Times New Roman', serif; font-size: 10pt;">[1]</span></span></span></span></a><i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">Mundra Hit Rakshak Manch</span></i><span style="font-size: 10pt;">(Forum for Protection of Rights in Mundra) is an informal collective of villagers impacted by large scale land use change due to large scale industrial expansion in the Mundra region. These persons and organisations have been regularly raising concerns against the social and environmental impacts of these projects through memorandums and street action as well as through courts. The forum was organically formed in June 2012 during the discussions of the community-led ground truthing of violations by projects in Kutch<a href="" name="_GoBack"></a>.</span></span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-83141673845893598702013-11-13T12:53:00.000+05:302013-11-13T12:53:35.343+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Global NGOs unhappy over WB support to Tata's Mundra UMPP</span></h1>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Seek withdrawal of IFC funding from the Tata Power's 4,000 Mw power project in Gujarat</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">After Indian NGO, as many as 68 civil society groups from 28 countries have condemned the</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span><a class="storyTags" href="http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=World+Bank" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">World Bank</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Group’s continued support for</span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span><a class="storyTags" href="http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Tata+Power" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Tata Power</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">'s 4000 Mw ultra mega power plant (UMPP) in Mundra, Kutch, despite the Ombudsman for International Finance Corporation (</span><a class="storyTags" href="http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Ifc" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">IFC</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">) finding serious lapses by IFC in supervision of the coal-base power project, impacting environment and livelihood of local fishing community there.</span></div>
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The global groups in an open letter to World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim, Friday last, have further demand that IFC be held accountable for the lapses by taking appropriate actions to address the findings of the Ombudsman, starting with development of a remedial action plan and the withdrawal of IFC financing from the Tata Power's power project in Mundra.</div>
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The action by civil rights groups from across the world comes on the heels of a letter from over 100 civil society groups in India demanding that the World Bank Group’s IFC withdraw funding from the Tata Power's project in Gujarat.</div>
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In its audit report for the power project, released last month, the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) for the IFC and the Multilateral Investment Guarantee Agency (MIGA) of the World Bank Group, had also held that IFC's review of project's environment and social assessments was not commensurate with project risk as required under its Sustainability Policy.</div>
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IFC had refuted the charges levied by CAO and justified its actions and funding to the power project operational under banner of Coastal Gujarat Power Limited (CGPL), a fully owned company of Tata Power.</div>
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Commenting on open letter by global civil society groups spokesperson for Tata Group said, "CAO report reflects the observations on the internal processes of IFC & thus it will only be appropriate for IFC to respond. We are yet to read through the report & would discuss with IFC if there were any issues related to CGPL. As per initial information available with CGPL, MASS (the Association for Fish workers' Rights) has certain generic issues concerning the coastline of Gujarat. <a class="storyTags" href="http://www.business-standard.com/search?type=news&q=Mundra+Umpp" style="border: 0px; cursor: pointer; margin: 0px; padding: 0px; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mundra UMPP</a> is just about 1% of Kutch coastline & we are more than responsive in our association with the community around our project & we remain committed to working with the community at all times."</div>
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"Mundra plant is fully compliant on all environmental and social norms and the same has been endorsed by MOEF and other statutory bodies and is committed to being a 'neighbour of choice'," the spokesperson further added.</div>
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In the open letter sent to Kim the global civil society groups have asked, "As concerned World Bank stakeholders and contributing taxpayers to our respective government’s official aid through the Bank, we are disturbed by your clearance of IFC response to the CAO report on the Tata Mundra coal power project. In solidarity with the Indian fishing communities, we demand an explanation why you rejected the CAO findings on IFC’s policy violations in funding the Tata Mundra coal power plant."</div>
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"Unless the findings from the World Bank Group’s internal watchdogs, like the CAO and the Inspection Panel, are taken seriously and acted upon, their role is in name only. This decision undermines the mandate of CAO while allowing staff and management to avoid culpability. Civil society around the world demand you hold the IFC accountable by taking hard but appropriate actionsto address the CAO findings, starting with the development of a remedial action plan and the withdrawal of IFC financing from the Tata Mundra coal project," the groups demanded.</div>
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In its audit of Tata UMPP, the CAO had found "weaknesses in IFC’s environment and social (E&S) review of CGPL did not support the formation of a robust view as to whether the project could be expected to meet the requirements of the Performance Standards over a reasonable period of time, the threshold question in terms of IFC’s decision to invest."</div>
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"Weaknesses in IFC’s E&S review process also meant that required opportunities to consider alternative project designs to avoid or minimize E&S impact were missed," the CAO stated in its findings.</div>
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IFC has invested $450 million of its own capital in this project, which it has classified as a category A project, signifying that it believes there are potentially significant adverse social and environmental impacts that may be diverse or irreversible. IFC was also considering investing up to $50 million in equity as part of its exposure to the project and syndicating up to about $300 million in loans</div>
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<a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/global-ngos-unhappy-over-wb-support-to-tata-s-mundra-umpp-113111100401_1.html"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/global-ngos-unhappy-over-wb-support-to-tata-s-mundra-umpp-113111100401_1.html</span></a></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-35889381516318616112013-11-09T17:26:00.000+05:302013-11-09T17:26:01.405+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Top US, European groups oppose World Bank support to Tatas' power project at Mundra, call it "deadly"</span></span></h3>
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<tr><td style="text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUT1GWcGxtw/UnxmbYml4qI/AAAAAAAAEtA/aJ5qTOvz_CI/s1600/India+Tata+Mundra+case.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: auto; margin-right: auto; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><img border="0" height="168" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-hUT1GWcGxtw/UnxmbYml4qI/AAAAAAAAEtA/aJ5qTOvz_CI/s1600/India+Tata+Mundra+case.jpg" style="-webkit-box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; border: none; box-shadow: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.0980392) 0px 0px 0px; padding: 0px; position: relative;" width="320" /></span></a></td></tr>
<tr><td class="tr-caption" style="font-size: 11px; text-align: center;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Fishing activity next to Tatas' power plant<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fIzl6ujEqU/Un4iYMeV5oI/AAAAAAAABQw/6NAF7yAEFeQ/s1600/1396938_10152309733828448_1281366701_o.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="247" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-_fIzl6ujEqU/Un4iYMeV5oI/AAAAAAAABQw/6NAF7yAEFeQ/s320/1396938_10152309733828448_1281366701_o.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
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<b style="line-height: 1.4;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">By Our Representative</span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">As many as 68 groups from 28 countries across six continents have sent a letter to World Bank President Dr Jim Yong Kim condemning the World Bank Group’s continued support for “a deadly coal project in Gujarat, India”. A statement from Washington by Dan Byrnes of the Sierra Club, which has chapters throughout the United States and Canada that offer opportunities for local involvement, activism and outings, says, “This action comes on the heels of a letter from over 100 groups in India demanding that the World Bank Group’s International Finance Corporation withdraw funding from the project, Tata Power’s 4,000-MW Mundra coal-fired ultra mega power plant (UMPP).</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">The “open letter” to Dr Kim from civil society groups opposing World Bank, while disagreeing with the rejection of Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) findings on the Tata Coal Plant, says, “As concerned World Bank stakeholders and contributing taxpayers to our respective government’s official aid through the Bank, we are disturbed by your clearance of International Finance Corporation (IFC) response to the CAO report on the Tata Mundra coal power project.” Significantly, most of the NGOs which signed the letter are from the US and European countries.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">The letter says, “In solidarity with the Indian fishing communities, we demand an explanation why you rejected the CAO findings on IFC’s policy violations in funding the Tata Mundra coal power plant. What actions will you take to mitigate the adverse impacts and end your financing of the deadly coal project? Following a complaint from Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS, Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights), an organization of fishing families impacted by the IFC financed 4,000 megawatt Tata Mundra UMPP in Kutch, Gujarat, the CAO issued a report showing that the IFC committed serious violations of its mandatory safeguards.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">The letter points out, “The CAO found that ‘IFC weaknesses in reviewing the client’s risk assessment and mitigation did not support the formation of a robust view that the project met the IFC’s policy requirements, that IFC did not consider alternative project design to avoid or minimize impacts, and that IFC has not treated complainants’ concerns as compliance issues.’ However, the IFC rejected the expert findings and issued no remedial action, choosing instead to defend the project decision and client.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">The letter further says, “Even more troubling, despite your work in public health and calls for urgent action to address climate change, your office cleared the response after a month of silence. Your decision means thousands of fishing and fishworker families will continue suffering from air pollution, contaminated water, and destroyed marine resources that CAO found to be directly linked with the construction and operation of the Tata coal plant.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">It adds, “This decision contradicts your decades of public health advocacy and speeches on moving the Bank away from funding fossil fuels. Mr President, you must show that you are serious about your statements at previous WB/IMF annual meetings on climate, accountability and learning from past mistakes. The CAO found massive shortfalls at the IFC, showing that the mechanisms to uncover such issues are working.”</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">The letter insists, “However, while the Tata Mundra project provided an opportunity to prove your commitment to learning from these failures, your clearance of the IFC response continues the lack of public accountability within the IFC. Unless the findings from the World Bank Group’s internal watchdogs, like the CAO and the Inspection Panel, are taken seriously and acted upon, their role is in name only. This decision undermines the mandate of CAO while allowing staff and management to avoid culpability. Civil society around the world demand you hold the IFC accountable by taking hard but appropriate actions to address the CAO findings, starting with the development of a remedial action plan and the withdrawal of IFC financing from the Tata Mundra coal project.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">Among the organizations which have signed the letter include several important NGOs in US such as Sierra Club, Accountability Counsel, Bank Information Center, Center for Biological Diversity, Center for International Environmental Law (CIEL), Earth Day Network, Feminist Task Force, Friends of the Earth US, Inclusive Development International, Institute for Policy Studies, Climate Policy Program, Oil Change International, Pacific Environment and World Team Now. Prominent multinational NGOs which signed the letter are Greenpeace International , Climate Action Network (CAN) Europe, Kyoto2, and NGO Forum on ADB, Asia-Pacific.</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; line-height: 1.4;"><span style="color: white;">From Britain, the NGOs which signed the letter are Bretton Woods Project, Climate and Health Council, Forest Peoples Programme, Indigenous Peoples Links (PIPLinks), the Corner House, and World Development Movement. Then, there were Jubilee and Market Forces from Australia, Carbon Market Watch and Centre national de coopération au développement from Belgium, Les Amis de la Terre from France; Urgewald from Germany, Center for a Sustainable Environment and Society (JACSES) from Japan, BankTrack from the Netherlands, Quercus – Associação Nacional de Conservação da Natureza from Portugal, Earthlife Africa Jhb from South Africa, Taiwan Environmental Protection Union from Taiwan and Re:Common from Italy.</span></span></div>
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<span style="line-height: 1.4;"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">NGOs from several other countries also signed the letter in large numbers. The countries represented include Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Bosnia and Herzegovina, Tanzania, Kosovo, Ghana, Nepal, Colombia, Indonesia, Tanzania, Mongolia, Thailand, Ukraine and Vietnam, among others</span><span style="background-color: white; color: #666666;">.</span></span></div>
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<a href="http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2013/11/grassroots-activists-across-the-globe-condemn-world-bank-presidents-continued-support-of-tata-mundra.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://sierraclub.typepad.com/compass/2013/11/grassroots-activists-across-the-globe-condemn-world-bank-presidents-continued-support-of-tata-mundra.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://tcktcktck.org/2013/11/groups-tell-world-bank-dont-finance-tata-coal-india/58671" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://tcktcktck.org/2013/11/groups-tell-world-bank-dont-finance-tata-coal-india/58671</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.rtcc.org/2013/11/08/world-bank-chief-condemned-for-backing-4000mw-india-coal-plant/#sthash.cRmYYG0L.uxfs" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.rtcc.org/2013/11/08/world-bank-chief-condemned-for-backing-4000mw-india-coal-plant/#sthash.cRmYYG0L.uxfs</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ryVntvnGNF6JCgtVFkwWpM/Tata-Power-seeks-to-add-1600MW-at-Mundra-plant.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.livemint.com/Companies/ryVntvnGNF6JCgtVFkwWpM/Tata-Power-seeks-to-add-1600MW-at-Mundra-plant.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2150198/world_banks_support_of_tata_mundra_coal_plant_condemned.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.theecologist.org/News/news_analysis/2150198/world_banks_support_of_tata_mundra_coal_plant_condemned.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://napm-india.org/content/over-hundred-organisations-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-tata-mundra" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://napm-india.org/content/over-hundred-organisations-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-tata-mundra</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.dnaindia.com/money/interview-it-s-a-shame-that-situation-now-is-not-conducive-to-investment-anil-sardana-1911969" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.dnaindia.com/money/interview-it-s-a-shame-that-situation-now-is-not-conducive-to-investment-anil-sardana-1911969</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/ifc-erred-funding-tata-mundra-power-project-says-its-compliance-advisor-ombudsman#.Um5S7wwCeKE.twitter" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.downtoearth.org.in/content/ifc-erred-funding-tata-mundra-power-project-says-its-compliance-advisor-ombudsman#.Um5S7wwCeKE.twitter</span></a></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-18569979822162994342013-11-09T16:55:00.001+05:302013-11-09T17:30:12.205+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 22pt;"><span style="color: white;">MachimarAdhikarSangharshSangathan<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; font-size: 12pt;"><span style="color: white;">Mundra, Kutch, Gujarat<o:p></o:p></span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Press Statement |October 24, 2013</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; font-size: 14pt;"><span style="color: white;">World Bank President Dr. Kim
shies away from taking action despite investigations find social &
environmental violations at Tata Mundra<o:p></o:p></span></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The recourse mechanism of <a href="http://www.ifc.org/">International
Finance Corporation</a> (IFC), the <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/">Compliance
Advisor Ombudsman</a> (CAO) in its report released yesterday found serious
social and environmental policy non-compliance by IFC and Coastal Gujarat Power
Limited (CGPL), the promoters of Tata Mundra Ultra Mega Power Project in Kutch,
Gujarat. Despite the significant findings, the World Bank Group President, Dr.
Jim Kim shied from taking any actions to check or minimise the negative impacts
on the people and environment.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Stopping short of calling for IFC’s withdrawal from
financing Tata Mundra project, the CAO said in its report, “…IFC’s Environment
& Social review of CGPL did not support the formation of a robust view as
to whether the project could be expected to meet the requirements of the
Performance Standards over a reasonable period of time, the threshold question
in terms of IFC’s decision to invest.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">MachimarAdhikarSangharshSangathan (MASS) welcomes the report
and its findings. MASS is the local
organisation of fishworkers affected by power projects including Tata Mundra,
Adani, OPG power projects, Mundra port and Special Economic Zone.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">“The findings reiterate and reconfirmthe concerns raised by the
communities since long,” Bharat Patel, General Secretary of MASS said. “The
findings, based on scientific studies, are indeed a shot in the arm for the
people struggling to protect the livelihoods of thousands of fisherfolk in
Kutch coast.”</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">MASS had lodged the <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/TataMundraCAOComplaint_June112011.pdf">complaint</a>
with CAO in June 2011.</span></div>
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<b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Key Findings<o:p></o:p></span></b></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">The Complainants, who are
from a religious minority and occupy a socially marginal position given their
migrant traditions, were <b>not adequately considered</b> as the (Environmental
and Social) E&S risks and impacts of the project were considered and
addressed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Th</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">ere is <b>no social baseline data</b> in relation to the
fisher people who reside seasonally in the fishing villages. In the absence of
a baseline data IFC was not in a position to ensure the proper application of
IFC’s policies related to land acquisition, despite indications that households
living on the <i>bunders</i>have been displaced by the project (both physically
and economically).</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC failed to ensure that
its client’s (Tata) E&S assessments adequately considered the <b>risks and
impacts of the project on these fisher people</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC paid <b>inadequate
attention to the requirementof biodiversity conservation</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">Serious lapses in IFC’s <b>review
and supervision of the impacts of the project on the airshed and marine
environment</b>.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC <b>has not ensured
that its client correctly applied the World Bank’s Thermal Power: Guidelines</b>
(1998) in that the project airshed has notbeen defined as a degraded airshed—a
classification that brings with it a requirement that there will be no net
increase in the total emissions of particulates or sulphur dioxide within the
airshed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC’s process of E&S
review <b>was not appropriate to the nature and scale of the project or
commensurate to risk</b> as required by the Sustainability Policy (of IFC).</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC has <b>not assured
itself that the plant’s seawater cooling system will comply</b> with applicable
IFC Environmental, Health and Safety (EHS) Guidelines.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC’s E&S review <b>paid
inadequate attention to ensuring that the project’s risks and impacts were </b>“analyzed in the context of [its] area
of influence,” as required by Performance Standard 1 (of IFC), including “areas
potentially impacted by cumulative impacts…from project-related developments
that are realistically defined at the time the E&S assessment is
undertaken.”</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div style="margin: 0cm 0cm 0.0001pt; text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span style="font-family: Symbol; font-size: 11pt;">·</span><span style="font-size: 7pt;">
</span><span style="font-family: Calibri, sans-serif; font-size: 11pt;">IFC should have advised
its client <b>that third-party E&S risk emerging from the project’s
proximity and relationship with Mundra Port and Special Economic Zone</b>
needed to be better assessed, with mitigation measures developed.</span><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">IFC’s response&
conflict of interest</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">IFC put its credibility at risk, by rebutting all the
findings of CAO and going out of the way to defend its client, CGPL and its
parent company, Tata. IFC’s response to the CAO findings smacks of arrogance,
refusal to learn lessons and disregard to people and their rights.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The fact that the company has commissioned Bombay Natural
History Society (BNHS) to undertake biodiversity mapping of the zone to be
impacted by the thermal plume, that BNHS corroborated the findings of Marine
Environment Impact Assessment (which was questioned by CAO) and engaged BNHS to
carry out turtle monitoring program is used in IFC’s management response to
discredit the CAO findings and to support the company. However, BNHS is a
partner of Tata Power, the parent company of CGPL, according to their annual
report 2009-2010. The current president of BNHSMr.HomiKhusrokhan is a former
Managing Director of Tata companies. Despite having such an umbilical cord
between the two, how can BNHS findings be independent and impartial is
anybody’s guess. IFC hoodwinks the public on the conflict of interest.</span></div>
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<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">President Kim shies
away from walking the talk</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Despite alarming findings by CAO, President Kim did not
acknowledge even one of the findings and supported blindly the IFC management
response, making himself and IFC complicit to the violations at Tata Mundra.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">By clearing
IFC response, the message President Kim is sending is that he supports his
staff’s denial of science, of expert findings and endorses management’s
avoidance of accountability. People in and out of the institution will see this
move a form of hypocrisy. He endorses management’s response that the coal plant
does not cause public health concerns (when it’s been high in the President’s
past and present advocacy). It then contradicts the President’s energy
directions paper and pronouncements on moving the institution from coal
financing. His tall talk on climate change is proving to be a charade.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span><b><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Undermining the
mandate of CAO</span></b></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">After considering the CAO findings and IFC management
response for 5 weeks, by not recognising even one finding of CAO, Dr. Kim sends
a strong and damaging signal that Bank’s internal watchdogs like CAO and
Inspection Panel are more for namesake and that despite their findings its
business as usual for the Bank.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;"> </span></o:p><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">“We wonder why an institution like CAO exists if their
findings are not given any value and no action is taken upon it,” said
SoumyaDutta, coordinator of the Independent Fact Finding Team whose report </span><a href="http://www.bicusa.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/07/Real+Cost+of+Power.pdf">Real
Cost of Power</a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">documented the violations of the company in June 2012. “If
President Kim is serious about the accountability that he talks about, and </span><span lang="EN-US" style="color: white;">about learning from the Bank’s
mistakes to prevent them from occurring again, he should not hesitate to take
bold decisions based on the findings.”</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span lang="EN-US" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> </span></span><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Communities demand the World Bank President stop pretending
that he can take people for a ride and take bold actions based on the CAO
findings. “Now that World Bank’s own investigations found such serious lapses,
it is time for the Bank to sit up and take appropriate and immediate actions.
We will not agree o</span><a href="http://www.blogger.com/blogger.g?blogID=7269842017639252874" name="_GoBack" style="color: white;"></a><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">n anything short of IFC withdrawing
financing from the project,” Bharat Patel said.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b>CAO Audit Report:</b><a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/TermsofReference_CGPLAudit_October242012.pdf">http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/TermsofReference_CGPLAudit_October242012.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><b>IFC Response to CAO Audit report:</b> <a href="http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/IFCresponsetoCAOAudit-CoastalGujaratPowerLimited.pdf">http://www.cao-ombudsman.org/cases/document-links/documents/IFCresponsetoCAOAudit-CoastalGujaratPowerLimited.pdf</a><o:p></o:p></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
<a href="http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ngos-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-from-tata-s-mundra-umpp-113110400736_1.html"><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">http://www.business-standard.com/article/companies/ngos-demand-world-bank-withdrawal-from-tata-s-mundra-umpp-113110400736_1.html</span></a></div>
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<br /></div>
</div>
Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-52090418249611859792013-11-09T16:37:00.002+05:302013-11-09T16:57:33.682+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
<div class="mod-timesofindiaarticleheader mod-articleheader" id="mod-article-header" style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia; font-size: 14px; line-height: 18px; margin: 20px 0px 0px; padding: 0px;">
<h2 class="title " style="border-top-color: rgb(0, 0, 0) !important; border-top-style: solid !important; border-top-width: 0px !important; font-family: arial; font-size: 22px; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-top: 5px; padding-left: 15px; padding-top: 10px !important;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">
Adani project in Mundra has violated environmental norms, rules MoEF committee</span></span></h2>
<h1 class="multi-line-title-1" style="border: 0px; font-family: Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; font-size: 25px; font-weight: normal; line-height: 25px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">
<div class="content" style="font-family: verdana, arial, sans-serif; font-size: 12px; line-height: normal;">
<span class="print-link" style="display: block; padding-bottom: 0.5em; text-align: right;"></span><br />
<div class="image-attach-body" style="border-collapse: collapse; float: left; margin: 0px 2px 0px 15px !important; padding-right: 8px; width: 510px;">
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://www.cseindia.org/content/mundrabigjpg-0" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-decoration: none;"><span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><img alt="mundrabig.jpg" class="image image-node image " height="402" src="http://www.cseindia.org/sites/default/files/images/mundrabig_0.jpg" style="border: 0px; margin-bottom: 10px; margin-right: 5px; vertical-align: bottom;" title="mundrabig.jpg" width="510" /></span></span></a><strong style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"> incontrovertible evidence of destruction of mangroves, blocking of creeks and non-compliance of other clearance conditions</span></strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<strong style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Committee recommends effective deterrence through creation of Environment Restoration Fund of Rs 200 crore or 1 per cent of total investment, whichever is higher</span></strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<strong style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Recommends reform of Coastal Zone Regulations and monitoring systems</span></strong></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;"><strong>New Delhi, April 18, 2013:</strong>There is incontrovertible evidence that the Adani project – port and SEZ – at Mundra in Gujarat has violated and not complied with environmental clearance conditions. The company has also bypassed environmental procedures in certain cases – says the report of a committee set up by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to inspect the project. The committee’s report was officially presented to the Union minister of state for environment and forests, Jayanthi Natarajan, here today.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The Adani Waterfront and Power Plant project has been in the eye of the storm for its massive adverse ecological impacts. Based on complaints received, the MoEF had set up the Committee to examine allegations of environmental destruction and non-compliance, including distortion of the original HTL/LTL by the company. The five-member committee, headed by environmentalist Sunita Narain, included officials from the MoEF and experts on coastal ecosystems and disaster management. </span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Ms Natarajan received the report and assured that the recommendations would be looked into by her officials.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The Committee used remote sensing technology to assess environmental damage that had occurred over the past decade. It concluded that there were cases of non-compliance, including the following:</span></span></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">There has been widespread destruction of mangroves; 75 hectares of mangroves have been lost in Bocha Island, which was declared as a conservation zone under the environmental clearance conditions.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The company has not taken precautions to guard against blocking of creeks because of construction activities; satellite imagery shows signs of deterioration and loss of creeks near the proposed North Port. </span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The company has not taken stipulated measures to ensure that the channels that bring large volumes of seawater for use in the thermal power plant and then discharge as well as the storage tank is lined so that there is no chance of salinity contamination in groundwater. This was a clear condition set at the time of clearance.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The company was found to be wanting about the inventory of its fly ash utilisation and disposal.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The company has been less than serious about reporting on compliance with the conditions set at the time of clearance. In many cases, non-compliance with reporting conditions has been observed.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Says Narain: “The Committee in its investigations has found that there have been instances to circumvent statutory procedures by using different agencies, at the Centre and state, for obtaining clearances for the same project. The public hearing procedure, which is a critical part of project clearance and helps to understand and mitigate the concerns of local people, has also been bypassed on one pretext or another.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The fisher community, which depends on the coasts for their livelihood, is the worst hit by these changes. “The development on the coast, on their land has clearly left little space for them,” says Narain. The report of the Committee suggests that there should be a plan for their ensuring access and provision of basic facilities, including a dedicated fishing harbor.</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<strong style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Key recommendations</span></strong></div>
<ul>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">The ministry should create an Environment Restoration Fund, which should be 1 per cent of the project cost (including the cost of the thermal power plant) or Rs 200 crore, whichever is higher. The Fund should be used for remediation of environmental damage in Mundra and for strengthening the regulatory and monitoring systems.</span></span></div>
</li>
<li><div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">Cancel environmental clearance of the North Port – this will lead to an increase in the mangrove conservation area and ensure ecological balance in this coastal zone.</span></span></div>
</li>
</ul>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<span style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">In addition, the committee has also made a range of recommendations on mangrove conservation, flyash management and disposal, salinity control, coastal safety (read earthquakes and tsunamis), and project clearance conditions and post-clearance monitoring. In fact, the committee’s report notes that post-clearance monitoring is the weakest area, and needs urgent strengthening. Says Narain: “If monitoring was rigorous, public and credible, there would have been no need for this committee. Which is why we have recommended that there is a need to create a monitoring system to ensure that corrective action suggested by this report is taken within a time-bound manner.”</span></span></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://www.cseindia.org/content/adani-project-mundra-has-violated-environmental-norms-rules-moef-committee" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.cseindia.org/content/adani-project-mundra-has-violated-environmental-norms-rules-moef-committee</span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-19/india/38673013_1_mundra-project-adani-group-new-delhi" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2013-04-19/india/38673013_1_mundra-project-adani-group-new-delhi</span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://cseindia.org/userfiles/adani_final_report.pdf" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://cseindia.org/userfiles/adani_final_report.pdf</span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/rs-200cr-fine-on-adani-group-recommended/article1-1046522.aspx" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/rs-200cr-fine-on-adani-group-recommended/article1-1046522.aspx</span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/gujarat-based-adani-group-fined-200-crore-for-environmental-damage-413610" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.ndtv.com/article/india/gujarat-based-adani-group-fined-200-crore-for-environmental-damage-413610</span></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica, Arial, sans-serif; font-size: 15px; line-height: 20px; margin-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 15px; padding-right: 15px;">
<a href="http://www.sustainuance.com/adani-group-faces-fine-for-environmental-damage/" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.sustainuance.com/adani-group-faces-fine-for-environmental-damage/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://inagist.com/all/375104630499196928/" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://inagist.com/all/375104630499196928/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.trinet.in/?q=node/1178" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.trinet.in/?q=node/1178</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/adani-project-violated-norms-impose-rs-200cr-fine-panel_855348.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/business/adani-project-violated-norms-impose-rs-200cr-fine-panel_855348.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.firstpost.com/business/adanis-mundra-project-violated-green-norms-says-probe-panel-710950.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.firstpost.com/business/adanis-mundra-project-violated-green-norms-says-probe-panel-710950.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/2013/09/moe-slaps-rs-200-crore-penalty-adani-group-8584/" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://currentaffairs.gktoday.in/2013/09/moe-slaps-rs-200-crore-penalty-adani-group-8584/</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.businessworld.in/news/business/environment/adani-project-violated-norms-panel/864337/page-1.html" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.businessworld.in/news/business/environment/adani-project-violated-norms-panel/864337/page-1.html</span></a></div>
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<a href="http://www.abhiyaanmagazine.com/index.php/sambhaavmetro/85-slide/23246-adani-story-01" style="background-color: black;"><span style="color: white;">http://www.abhiyaanmagazine.com/index.php/sambhaavmetro/85-slide/23246-adani-story-01</span></a></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-47034703486001437362013-11-07T12:39:00.001+05:302013-11-07T12:39:43.543+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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<br /><span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Adani SEZ project violated green norms, says environment panel</span></h2>
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><a href="http://businesstoday.intoday.in/search.jsp?searchword=BT%20Online%20Bureau&searchtype=text&searchphrase=exact&search_type=author">BT Online Bureau</a> New Delhi Last Updated: April 19, 2013 | 10:49 IST<br /><br />An environment ministry panel has held that a port and <a href="http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/govt-cancels-adani-group-sez-in-gujarat-company-to-re-apply/1/189093.html">special economic zone (SEZ) project</a> of Adani group in Mundra, Gujarat, violated green clearance conditions and recommended creation of a fund of a minimum of Rs 200 crore from the project cost for ecological restoration.<a href="http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/adani-sez-project-violated-green-norms-environment-panel/1/194236.html">http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/adani-sez-project-violated-green-norms-environment-panel/1/194236.html</a><img src="http://media2.intoday.in/btmt/images/stories/adani-mundra-sez_505_041913103614.jpg" /><br /></span><div style="text-align: justify;">
<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">Due to non-compliance of environmental clearance rules by the company, there has been widespread destruction of mangroves and deterioration and loss of creeks near the proposed North Port, said the report, which was presented to Environment Minister Jayanthi Natarajan on Thursday."There is incontrovertible evidence that <a href="http://businesstoday.intoday.in/story/mundra-port-sez-halt-project-work-no-green-clearance/1/184397.html">Adani project has violated</a> environmental norms," said the five-member committee headed by environmentalist Sunita Narain in its report."Seventy-five hectares of mangroves have been lost in Bocha Island, which was declared as a conservation zone. The company has not taken precautions to guard against blocking of creeks because of construction activities; satellite imagery shows signs of deterioration and loss of creeks near the proposed North Port," it said.The Adani waterfront and power plant project has been in the eye of the storm for its alleged adverse ecological impact. Based on the complaints received, the environment ministry had set up the committee to examine the allegations.Based on the findings, the committee has asked the government to create an environment restoration fund, which should be 1 per cent of the project cost (including the cost of the thermal power plant) or Rs 200 crore, whichever is higher."The fund should be used for remediation of environmental damage in Mundra and for strengthening the regulatory and monitoring systems," it said.The panel did not put the project on hold as it observed that it has moved very far but advised the ministry to cancel environmental clearance of the North Port. Natarajan assured the committee that the ecommendations would be looked into by the government.Reacting to the development, the Gujarat-based firm said since the north port has not been developed at all, it would not impact the current operations of the company.</span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-44883444754199578122013-11-07T11:45:00.000+05:302013-11-09T17:27:17.056+05:30<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: left;" trbidi="on">
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Inspection committee to visit Kutch this month end</span></h1>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;"><span class="pubdate" style="border: 0px; font-size: 10px; font-weight: bold; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Saeed Khan, TNN</span><span class="separator" style="border: 0px; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px 0px 10px; padding: 0px 5px 0px 0px;"> </span><span style="border: 0px; font-size: 10px; margin: 0px; padding: 0px;">Oct 19, 2012, 07.00PM IST</span></span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">AHMEDABAD: The inspection of Adani Power Ltd (APL) and Adani Ports and Special Economic Zone (APSEZ) by a special committee of Ministry of Environment and Forest is likely to begin in Kutch from October 29.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">A five-member team headed by Sunita Narain was formed by the ministry last month after allegations of violation of environmental and coastal regulatory zone (CRZ) norms were leveled against these two companies by a local fishermen's association - Machhimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) and another NGO named Kheti Vikas Sewa Trust (KVST).</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">According to Bharat Patel from MASS, the team is scheduled to visit Kutch by the end of this month for inspection.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">While forming the committee the ministry had also taken into consideration directions issued for the APSEZ by the Gujarat high court order on a PIL filed by KVST. The committee's task includes examination of allegations regarding distortion of original high tide line through bunding/diversion/blocking of creek and reclamation, and whether construction of Mundra Port, roads, railway was taken up prior to grant of environmental clearance.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The committee has a mandate to check whether companies have complied with conditions laid down while granting environment clearance. It is also likely to assess an impact on agriculture following salinity ingress.</span></div>
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<span style="background-color: black; color: white;">The ministry had granted environment and CRZ clearance on January 12, 2009 to APSEZ for the development of port facilities at Mundra, however, similar clearance for the SEZ was still awaited.</span></div>
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Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-75311151444031443002012-02-15T13:41:00.006+05:302012-02-15T22:49:32.130+05:30National Green Tribunal directs that no construction till all approvals are obtained by OPG<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZpHZY683gQ/TztqoGmYUTI/AAAAAAAABOs/2-U0x3TvNy4/s1600/DSC09626.JPG"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-MZpHZY683gQ/TztqoGmYUTI/AAAAAAAABOs/2-U0x3TvNy4/s400/DSC09626.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709274189821137202" /></a><p class="MsoNormal" align="center" style="text-align:center"><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">The National Green Tribunal on 08-2-20012 in a Judgment </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; "> </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">[Order made available on 14-2-2012 at www.greentribunal.in] directed that no construction activity should take place with respect to the </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; "> </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">300 MW (2x150 MW) Thermal Power Plant at Village Bhadreshwar, Taluka Mundra by OPG Power Gujarat till all approvals are obtained by the Project Proponent. Construction had commenced at the site without all the required approvals including the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and CRZ clearance. The ongoing constructions were challenged before the National Green Tribunal</span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; "> </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">by Fisherfolks, Saltpan Worker and local villagers. </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; "> </span><span style="text-align: justify; font-family: 'Century Schoolbook', serif; font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">The work on the project continues despite the fact all required approvals were not in place</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">The NGT in its judgement cited the environmental clearance letter which clearly stipulates that the project proponent shall not start any construction/ project enabling activities unless and until environmental clearance as well as all requisite prior permission/ clearances are obtained. [Para 13 of the Judgment].<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">The NGT held <b>‘that a cumulative reading of all the specific and general conditions…leads to the conclusion that the project cannot commence its activities until prior permission/ clearances are obtained from various authorities under different Acts/ law</b>’. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">The NGT further held that ‘it is well settled that in the absence of permission under the Forest (Conservation) Act and CRZ clearance , the EC granted in favour of Respondent No 3 becomes redundant in as much as the said EC is subject to permission and clearance granted under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 and the CRZ clearance”<o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">It is pertinent to point out that the Forest Clearance application was rejected by the Government of Gujarat and the MOEF has on 6<sup>th</sup> February, 2012 issued a Show Cause to OPG Groups to show cause as to why the CRZ Clearance should not be kept in abeyance. <o:p></o:p></span></p> <p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">As a result of the Present Judgment of the NGT, OPG Power Gujarat cannot proceed with its project unless they secure all approvals and responds to the Show Cause issued by the MoEF with respect to the CRZ Clearance. In case OPG proposes any change, they have to apply to the concerned authorities for approval. <o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align:justify"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif""></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif"">Indian Express</span></p><span lang="EN-US" style="font-size:12.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Century Schoolbook","serif""> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Green-Tribunal-flags-red-for-OPG-s-power-plant/912352/">http://www.indianexpress.com/news/Green-Tribunal-flags-red-for-OPG-s-power-plant/912352/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Business Standard</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://business-standard.com/india/news/green-setback-for-opg-power-plant/464748/">http://business-standard.com/india/news/green-setback-for-opg-power-plant/464748/</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">Hindustan Times</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Green-tribunal-stops-Gujarat-power-project/Article1-811498.aspx">http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/NewDelhi/Green-tribunal-stops-Gujarat-power-project/Article1-811498.aspx</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal">Divya bhaskar Gujarti News</p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/article/KUT-BUJ-opg-power-plant-green-tribunal-stop-order-2863291.html">http://www.divyabhaskar.co.in/article/KUT-BUJ-opg-power-plant-green-tribunal-stop-order-2863291.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><o:p> </o:p><span style="font-size: 12pt; line-height: 115%; ">Kutch Mitra</span></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.kutchmitradaily.com/News.aspx?id=50800">http://www.kutchmitradaily.com/News.aspx?id=50800</a></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-at-mudra-untill-it-gets-environmental-clearance-national-green-tribunal/articleshow/11897865.cms">http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/news-by-industry/energy/power/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-at-mudra-untill-it-gets-environmental-clearance-national-green-tribunal/articleshow/11897865.cms</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-at-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal_668318.html">http://www.moneycontrol.com/news/wire-news/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-at-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal_668318.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.asianage.com/india/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal-856">http://www.asianage.com/india/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal-856</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.infraline.com/todaynews/National-Green-Tribunal-Directs-Opg-Power-Gujarat-To-Stop-Work-At-Its-300-Mw-Thermal-Power-Plant/1/3/3/02_15_2012.htm">http://www.infraline.com/todaynews/National-Green-Tribunal-Directs-Opg-Power-Gujarat-To-Stop-Work-At-Its-300-Mw-Thermal-Power-Plant/1/3/3/02_15_2012.htm</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.allvoices.com/news/11516885-green-tribunal-flags-red-for-opgs-power-plan">http://www.allvoices.com/news/11516885-green-tribunal-flags-red-for-opgs-power-plan</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/greenmudra-2-last/963749.html">http://ibnlive.in.com/generalnewsfeed/news/greenmudra-2-last/963749.html</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/green-setback-opg-power-plant">http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/news/green-setback-opg-power-plant</a></p> <p class="MsoNormal"><a href="http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/west/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal-387">http://www.deccanchronicle.com/channels/nation/west/stop-opgs-power-plant-work-mudra-gujarat-green-tribunal-387</a></p><p></p></span><p></p>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-21001776859388567162012-02-15T13:14:00.007+05:302012-02-15T14:05:36.312+05:30CAO Dispute Resolution Process on Tata Mundra Coal Project a Failure<a href="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rY22lwr_-3U/Tztipw4dSCI/AAAAAAAABOc/pMkkW0CCWEA/s1600/Untitled.jpg"><img style="float:left; margin:0 10px 10px 0;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 304px; height: 204px;" src="http://2.bp.blogspot.com/-rY22lwr_-3U/Tztipw4dSCI/AAAAAAAABOc/pMkkW0CCWEA/s400/Untitled.jpg" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5709265422258096162" /></a><div style="text-align: justify;">Assessment Report does not understand the complex issues and is unfairly protective of the company</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Disappointing. This is how we, members of the Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS – Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights) see the assessment report of the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman (CAO) on our case against Tata Mundra coal power project. One, CAO fails to understand the deep-seated issues we raised in our complaint. Two, its Ombudsman goes out of the way to justify the company for its omissions and violations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>An assessment begun in August 2011, the report projects, us, the complainants as adamant and unreasonable; that we are not prepared to enter into a collaborative process of dispute resolution. For us, this finding indicates that CAO has fallen into the sweet talk and PR of the company, whose track record in many other projects in the country is notoriously dismal.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">The report cites CAO’s view that a collaborative process may have been helpful in this case to address many of the concerns. Had we engaged in an open dialogue, CAO reports, the company could have enhanced benefits such as provision of health and schooling services for fishing communities. This is a very myopic view and a simplistic solution to the complex problems the company has brought to us. The report is also profoundly silent about the violations we have raised in the complaint.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>We had pointed out in our complaint the absence of cumulative impact assessment; IFC and its client’s failure to recognize fishing communities as affected population; and the absence of environmental clearance for in-take channel, conveyer belt, port and railway line (all being shared with the adjacent Adani project), and for the open cooling system. CAO purposefully ignored to mention these issues in its report. We do not think CAO fully understands the issues we brought to their attention.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>In the report, CAO has not failed to mention that some fishworkers are satisfied with what the company has compensated them, without remembering that the complaint was from the aggrieved communities and not the other. We believe CAO should have covered in its assessment the other adversely impacted people, like the farmers, shepherds/ cattle herders, whose lands have been usurped for the project and the other externality costs.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">CAO’s utter failure to accurately assess the broad concerns in our complaint and to ensure a conducive mediation process is disappointing. We hope that the compliance process will be more prudent, objective and forthright in looking at the issues that we have raised, particularly in the context of the poor assessment report, the long-term harms this project has created, and the multiple policy violations.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>Hard decisions must be taken to save threatened communities and the marine and land resources from the long-term havocs of the coal power plant. There must be a full audit, not just a desk-based review from distant experts, and ToR for the audit must be disclosed.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">**********</div> <div style="text-align: justify;">Additional information</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>In June 2011 Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS – Association for the Struggle for Fishworkers’ Rights) sent a complaint to the Compliance Advisor Ombudsman, the recourse mechanism at the International Finance Corporation, of the World Bank Group. The complaint now moves to the compliance arm of the CAO, after the Ombudsman has submitted the assessment report.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>The complaint emerged to hold IFC accountable for co-financing the 4,000 MW coal-based Tata Ultra Mega Power Plant. Lodged by fishing and farming villagers, the complaint claims that due to flawed design and execution, including breaches of mandatory client obligations, the mammoth coal-fired power plant is contributing to the destruction livelihood of thousands of families and will cause irreparable damage to their fragile marine resources and agriculture.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>With a total project cost of US$ 4.14 billion, the IFC is investing a $450 million loan and $50 million in equity. Other financial institutions funding the project are the Export-Import Bank of Korea, Asian Development Bank, India Infrastructure Finance Co. Ltd., Housing and Urban Development Corporation Ltd., Oriental Bank of Commerce, Vijaya Bank, State Bank of Bikaner & Jaipur, State Bank of Hyderabad, State Bank of Travancore, the State Bank of Indore and other local banks.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>As the plant is located in the special economic zone (SEZ) that cuts across fishing grounds, habitat of diverse marine lives and wide expanse of farm land, complainants state that the project’s social impact assessment is significantly flawed. Fishing communities were excluded from the list of those directly impacted; the major damage and potential loss of their livelihood was deliberately overlooked.</div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>On the economic side, the recent Indonesian government’s revision of its coal export pricing structure effectively doubled prices. This revision has immediate and severe impacts on the Tata Mundra plant. Tata Power Managing Director has said that it could become a “non-performing asset” and began actively lobbying the Indian government for a tariff revision as well as a diplomatic push to get the Indonesian government to revise its pricing structure. Whatever happens on the tariff front, if all costs are taken into account, including the huge social and environmental costs, we believe that the project can never be economically viable.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/news/world-bank-arm-to-relook-at-its-investment-in-tata-powers-project-in-kutch/912351/0">http://www.indianexpress.com/news/world-bank-arm-to-relook-at-its-investment-in-tata-powers-project-in-kutch/912351/0</a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <span style="font-size:11.0pt;line-height:115%;font-family:"Calibri","sans-serif"; mso-ascii-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-fareast-font-family:Calibri;mso-fareast-theme-font: minor-latin;mso-hansi-theme-font:minor-latin;mso-bidi-font-family:Shruti; mso-bidi-theme-font:minor-bidi;mso-ansi-language:EN-IN;mso-fareast-language: EN-US;mso-bidi-language:AR-SA"><a href="http://counterview.org/2012/02/15/fishermens-problem-along-mundra-coast-stems-from-wider-issues-of-industrialization-world-bank/">http://counterview.org/2012/02/15/fishermens-problem-along-mundra-coast-stems-from-wider-issues-of-industrialization-world-bank/</a></span></div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-7152431799459253332012-02-08T22:03:00.001+05:302012-02-08T22:04:54.789+05:30Urgent Press Release : MOEF showcause notice to OPG on CRZ clearance<i><big><b>CRZ application did not disclose the presence of forest land in project area for laying the pipeline for a thermal power plant</b></big><br /><br /><big><b>Notice seeks explanation from M/s OPG within 15 days on why their<br />CRZ clearance should not kept in abeyance </b></big></i><br /><br /><div align="justify">In a significant move, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has issued a show cause notice on 6th February 2012 seeking explanation from M/s OPG Power Gujarat Ltd as to <b>why the clearance issued to them under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 2011 on 16th September 2011 should not be kept in abeyance in the light of serious violations by the company in the construction of a 300 MW Thermal Power Plant</b> <b>in the ecologically sensitive Bhadreshwar coast in, Mundra taluka, Kutch District, Gujarat. </b><br /><br />This information came to light during a hearing of the National Green Tribunal (NGT) on 8th February 2012 where three separate cases against M/s OPG are being heard challenging environment clearance (issued under Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006) and CRZ clearance as well as initiating construction without seeking approval under the Forest Conservation Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for non-forest use. The cases have been filed by the representatives of the fishing community, salt pan workers and grazing community whose livelihood will be affected with the construction of the project.<br /></div><br />The notice states that while seeking approval under the CRZ notification, M/s OPG did not disclose before the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) that the route of the sea water pipeline will involve use of forest land. The notice adds that,<b> "the disclosure of information after appraisal of the project amounts to suppersession of information by the project proponent before the Ministry and the EAC at the time of appraisal"</b><br /><br />It is important to note that the maps submitted by M/s OPG for CRZ clearance have also not disclosed the presence of forest land near the project area and in the route of the sea water pipeline. <b>According to the show cause notice, M/s OPG has claimed in its reply affidavit in Application No. 32 of 2011 before the National Green Tribunal, that they realised that the sea water pipeline will pass through forest land only after the CRZ clearance had been approved. </b><br /><br />Earlier on 15th December 2010, the MoEF had issued a show cause notice to M/s OPG Power Gujarat Ltd as they had initiated construction without procuring the necessary CRZ clearance. The CRZ clearance had been issued on 16.9.2011 following which M/s OPG had applied for approval under FCA, 1980 on 17th October 2011.<br /><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In Solidarity</span><br /><br />Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan<br />Bhadreshwar Village, Mundra Taluk, Kutch District,<br />Gujarat. Pin 370411<br /><br /><b><br /><br /></b>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-88413921152106058682011-11-26T18:48:00.004+05:302011-11-27T21:22:04.365+05:30Activists arrested in Bhadreshwar protesting the illegal construction work of the OPG Thermal Plant<div style="text-align: center;"><span class="Apple-style-span"><u><br /></u></span></div><br /><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zgn_Fb7DnlM/TtDnz9wKLNI/AAAAAAAABNk/NUVe65GEnvM/s1600/DSC00576.JPG"><img style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-Zgn_Fb7DnlM/TtDnz9wKLNI/AAAAAAAABNk/NUVe65GEnvM/s400/DSC00576.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679294010050096338" border="0" /></a><div style="text-align: left;"><br /></div><div>TEN PROTESTORS ARRESTED, VILLAGERS MARCH TO THE POLICE STATION DEMANDING THEIR ARREST OR HALT CONSTRUCTION WORK OF THE OPG THERMAL PLANT</div><div><br /></div><div><div>26th November 2011, Mundra - OPG Power Gujarat Limited has again initiated construction of its 300 MW thermal power plant, in its third attempt to break through the deadlock of opposition and regulation that has so far prevented the project from going ahead. The fisherworkers, salt pan workers and grazing communities living on the Bhadreshwar coast are aware of the serious impacts and changes this construction activity will bring to their livelihoods in the near future. Under the banner of Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) a fishworker's trade union the villagers have been protesting against this initiative since 2009.</div><div><br /></div><div>The OPG Group’s initial public hearing in 2009 to set up the 300 MW thermal plant was met with unprecedented and unanimous opposition from the local community mainly fishworkers, saltpan workers and farmers whose livelihoods are under threat due to the project. While the state SEIAA was deliberating on the issues, OPG applied to MoEF for expansion to 2600 MW, which clearly shows the mischievous intent of getting the two clearances parallel - 300 MW from the Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the ToR from the MoEF for the Environment Impact Assessment. The pending approval from the SEIAA was not at all mentioned in the application to the MoEF. This piece of information was only revealed when an RTI application was filed by MASS. A petition was sent to Mr Jairam Ramesh on 26 February 2010 which highlighted the OPG group has deliberately tried to mislead the concerned authorities, and therefore their proposal is liable to rejection invoking Section 8 (vi) of the EIA notification. It is important to note the number of irregularities done by this company. In June 2010, OPG received its environment clearance from Gujarat SEIAA for its 300 MW plant, with 121 conditions, however due to the location along the coast; this project also needed additional permissions under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 1991 notification. This permission was denied by the MoEF Expert Appraisal Committee in July 2010. The company was asked to submit a revised proposal clearly stating that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel. In spite of this, the company went ahead with its construction activity due to which it was slapped a show cause notice on 15th December 2010 by the MoEF.</div></div><div><br /></div><div><div>On 16th September 2011 the company got its approval under the CRZ notification, yet again with a long list of conditions attached, however the forest permission (needed to convert lands for non-forest use) has not yet been granted. But the company has started its construction and is going ahead without obtaining necessary clearances. MASS has written a letter dated 1st November, 2011 to the Environment minister, forest department, police department officials highlighting this violation and urging immediate action. (Annexure 1). Instead of taking action to stop the illegal construction, the police department sanctioned police protection to the company for its illegal activities. MASS’ appeals to senior police officials to revoke their support to the illegal activities of the company met with deaf ears. (Annexure 2). Meanwhile, the company, emboldened by the inaction of the environment ministry and the support of the police, went ahead with the construction with the full knowledge that its actions are in clear violation of environment and forest laws. </div><div><br /></div><div>The activists of MASS opposed this move and since the last four days the women from Bhadreshwar Bandar have been protesting against this unapproved construction with no complete clearance till now, which irked the company and today 26th November 2011, ten leaders and activists of MASS which includes Kirit Singh Javeja, Hussein Kara, Ahmed Majlia were arrested by the police and taken to the Mundra police station. Approximately 300 villagers have marched to the police station in Mundra and are protesting against this arrest and have made it clear to either arrest all of them, as that’s the only way the company can continue its illegal construction. </div></div><div><br /></div><div><a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1epATXnOUuU/TtDoNtVb32I/AAAAAAAABNw/WGtPQ4mXGHk/s1600/DSC00580.JPG"><img src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-1epATXnOUuU/TtDoNtVb32I/AAAAAAAABNw/WGtPQ4mXGHk/s400/DSC00580.JPG" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5679294452319641442" style="margin: 0px auto 10px; display: block; text-align: center; cursor: pointer; width: 400px; height: 300px;" border="0" /></a></div><div><br /></div><div>The people of Mundra coast are waging this struggle to protect the commons on which their survival depends, human dignity and right to livelihoods. </div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div><div><br /></div>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-44150562108200924192011-11-21T12:45:00.005+05:302011-11-21T12:56:18.399+05:30OPG Power Bhadreshwar Third time around the law<p align="justify" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><b class="hp4" style="font: normal normal normal 24px/normal arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; "></b></p><p align="justify" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><b class="hp4" style="font: normal normal normal 24px/normal arial, helvetica; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; "><span><span></span></span></b></p><span><span><span class="Apple-style-span" ><b><u>Third time around the law </u></b></span><br /><div style="text-align: justify;">Construction of a project that requires environmental, coastal zone and forest permissions cannot begin until all of these are secured. Or can it? Kanchi Kohlireports. </div> <div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space:pre"> </span>22 Novemober 2011 - Trouble seems to be brewing along the Bhadreshwar coast. OPG Power Gujarat Limited has initiated construction of its 300 MW thermal power plant, in its third attempt to break through the logjam of opposition and regulation that has so far prevented the project from going ahead. The fenced-off area is receiving drilling and building equipment, and company employees face the ire of fishing communities living in the inter-tidal mudflats.The fisherfolk, salt pan workers and grazing communities living on the Bhadreshwar coast are both livid and tense, acutely aware of the impacts and changes this construction activity will bring in the near future. The inter tidal mudflats and the coastline of the Randh Bander is the source of their thriving livelihoods, and if the thermal power plant comes up this will be gone forever. So, they have gone to court, taken to the streets and even have told the company clearly that they don't have much faith that that there will be minimal or no impacts in the area. India Together has covered this struggle extensively in previous article - (seehere, here, here and here.Bhadreshwar is the second largest fish production centre on the Kutch coast in Gujarat. It is estimated that nearly 6000 fisherfolk from Bhadreshwar, Luni, Tuna and Sangad villages have been using the Randh Bander for traditional fishing for over 200 years. Boat fishing is carried out upto 10 km from the coast and pagadiya (on foot) fishing is carried out on a 10-km stretch along the coast (5 km on each side of the Bander).OPG in BhadreshwarAccording to a 17 January 2011 news release on the group's website, the OPG group has signed a Memorandum of Understanding with the Gujarat government for a power generation production capacity of 5400 MW in the state. This includes 1400 MW Gas based power generation, and the rest is with coal which the company proposes to receive through the port operated at the neighbouring Mundra coast, run by the Adani group.The Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) a fishworker's trade union in Bhadreshwar, had pointed out the first instance of legal infirmity by the OPG group back in 2009-2010. OPG first disclosed its proposal to set up a 300 MW thermal power plant in Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka and applied for environment clearance from Gujarat State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). As per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006, thermal power projects under 500 MW are termed as 'Category B' and need to take permission at the state level (larger 'Category A' projects need approval from the MoEF in New Delhi).Since OPG's future plans were not limited to development of 300 MW on the Bhadreshwar coast, on 3 December 2009 the group submitted an application to the MoEF for establishing the Terms of Reference (ToR) to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment report for the expansion of the plant from 300 MW to 2600 MW. This letter made no mention of the fact that application for the 300 MW plant has not yet been granted approval. If it were not a Right to Information (RTI) application which was filed by MASS which revealed the details of the expansion, these two clearance processes would have gone along in parallel.With this information in hand MASS representatives wrote to the then Minister of Environment and Forests (MoEF), Jairam Ramesh seeking the Ministry's intervention and pointing to these irregularities. The letter on 26 February 2010 highlighted the OPG group has deliberately tried to mislead the concerned authorities, and therefore their proposal is liable to rejection invoking Section 8 (vi) of the EIA notification.But no such action was taken. Meanwhile, in June 2010 OPG received its environment clearance from Gujarat SEIAA for its 300 MW plant, with a long list of 121 conditions - one of the longest in the history of environment clearances granted. But because of its location along the coast, this project also needed additional permissions under the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ), 1991 notification.This permission was denied. OPG's proposal to build an intake channel to the thermal power plant along the coast was rejected by MoEF's Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for Building Construction, Coastal Regulation Zone, Infrastructure Development and Miscellaneous projects in July 2010. The committee felt that the coastal environment would be negatively impacted by the construction of an open channel, and instead suggested that OPG could consider the construction of a pipeline instead, to provide for water requirements of the 300 MW plant. The company was to submit a revised proposal.However, with no CRZ clearance in hand the company announced its Bhoomi Pujan to initiate the construction activity in November 2010. Evidence indicated that OPG had undertaken land-filling and cutting of trees without the CRZ approval this. This came to the notice of the fisherfolk when invitation cards were distributed widely in the area. MASS took it upon themselves to point out this irregularity to the MoEF.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">MoEF issued a show cause notice to the company asking it to explain why it had begun construction without the necessary approvals.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• A sham again</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• A crevasse in regulation</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• The clock is ticking</div><div style="text-align: justify;">• The cost of the coastIt was only following this that the officials of the Ministry issued a show cause notice on 15 December 2010 to the company, asking why construction activity had been undertaken prior to the approvals being granted. However, although the fisherfolk had been instrumental in raising many of the issues in the show-cause notice, the exchange between the MoEF and the company took place with no involvement of the locals.Another instance of construction without approvalsOn 16 September 2011, the company got its approval under the CRZ notification, this time too with a long list of conditions attached. But this story does not end here, since the forest permission (needed to convert lands for non-forest use) is still pending. However, this time too the company has gone ahead with the construction, prompting one more outcry from the locals.Information received through an RTI application by Kiritsinh Naruba Jadeja in October 2010 indicates that the forest clearance procedure is far from complete. The company has applied for the diversion of recently, and the application is yet to be processed. MASS and the fisherfolk have brought this to the attention of the Minister of Environment and Forests, Jayanthi Natrajan and senior officials of the Ministry. A complaint has also been filed before D K Sharma, Chief Conservator of Forests (CCF), Bhuj but no action has been taken as yet.The fishworkers and other coastal communities of Kutch, have also written to T Chatterjee, Secretary, MoEF, seeking his intervention to reject the CRZ clearance for intake/outfall pipelines for the OPG power project on various grounds. Some of these include the fact that the pipelines are proposed right next to Randh Bander which is Kutch's second largest fish production centre, which is the only source of livelihoods for thousands of traditional fisherfolk in the Mundra coast.Further, due to high eroding nature of the Bhadreshwar coast, the sand dunes keep shifting continuously and the proposed pipelines pose a risk to the sand dunes at present and in future. Moreover, the appeal says the Gujarat Fisheries department has opposed the OPG project in the area, and has plans to develop Randh Bander into a modern fish landing centre.Amidst all this, an old way of life goes on in the area - with the sounds of the waves, the array of Bombay Duck fish left for trying around fishing shelters, the conversations with the people as they mend their fishing nets, and the flamingoes that visit Randh Bander year after year. Without the simple right to determine their own destiny, another local community struggles to come to terms with a system that casts them aside in the pursuit of 'national development'.</div><div style="text-align: justify;">⊕Kanchi Kohli </div><div style="text-align: justify;">22 Nov 2011</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Link:- <a href="http://www.indiatogether.org/2011/nov/env-opg.htm" style="text-align: left; ">http://www.indiatogether.org/2011/nov/env-opg.htm</a></div></span></span><p align="justify" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><span class="contents2" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.5; "></span></p><div><div><p align="justify" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-size: medium; "><span class="contents2" style="font: normal normal normal 12px/normal arial, helvetica; text-decoration: none; line-height: 1.5; "></span></p></div></div>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-39053959480954736122011-11-21T00:04:00.007+05:302011-11-21T13:13:23.593+05:30<a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQxE0cm2ThE/TslK0zllfwI/AAAAAAAABNI/k7TCTjCgZJo/s1600/DSC09431.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-UQxE0cm2ThE/TslK0zllfwI/AAAAAAAABNI/k7TCTjCgZJo/s400/DSC09431.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677151076338728706" /></a><span class="Apple-style-span"><br /><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Fl8sdS9Xgk/TslK0PXQCGI/AAAAAAAABNA/3gzR1DWvU90/s1600/DSC09627.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/-3Fl8sdS9Xgk/TslK0PXQCGI/AAAAAAAABNA/3gzR1DWvU90/s400/DSC09627.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677151066614925410" /></a><br /><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIxITIEBpAw/TslKz3Ti03I/AAAAAAAABMw/VPM9UP6vos0/s1600/DSC09618.JPG" onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}"><img style="float:right; margin:0 0 10px 10px;cursor:pointer; cursor:hand;width: 400px; height: 300px;" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/-SIxITIEBpAw/TslKz3Ti03I/AAAAAAAABMw/VPM9UP6vos0/s400/DSC09618.JPG" border="0" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5677151060156928882" /></a><br /></span><div align="center"><small><u><big><big><big><big><b><span class="Apple-style-span"></span></b></big></big></big></big></u></small></div><span><div style="text-align: justify;">URGENT APPEAL STOP THE ILLEGAL CONSTRUCTION AND POLICE PROTECTION FOR THE CONSTRUCTION OF THE 300 MW PLANT BY M/S OPG POWER PVT LTD IN BHADRESHWAR, KUTCH GUJARAT IN VIOLATION OF THE FOREST CONSERVATION ACT, 1980</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div> <div style="text-align: justify;">It is with deep urgency that we are writing to you to point out the second instance of illegal construction activity being carried out by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra taluka of Kutch district. The construction is illegal as it is a violation of Forest Conservation Act (FCA),1980 because the company has not yet received forest clearance for the project. We have raised the issue with the environment ministry and sadly no action has been taken to stop the illegal construction activity. It is shocking to know that the illegal construction activity is being done with the support of the police and there. We are in possession of a letter from OPG to the SP, Kutch making payment for the police protection that has been sanctioned for the illegal construction activity. A recent Indian Express article quoted a forest official stating that illegal construction activity is indeed going on and the forest department was not taking action due to lack of jurisdiction. We would be happy to share any documents your require for information. [SEE LETTER TO DIRECTOR GENERAL, POLICE, GUJARAT PASTED BELOW AND LETTER TO JAYANTHI NATRAJAN, MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS ATTACHED] </div><div style="text-align: justify;">We appeal to you to send an email or fax to the following persons to take strong action against the company, withdraw police support for its illegal activities and reject the environmental and CRZ clearance for the project. Your appeal could state along with attached documents:</div><div style="text-align: justify;">“We endorse the complaint letter sent by the local communities pointing out the illegal construction activity by 300 MW thermal power plant by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra, Kutch Gujarat and urge you to immediately take action to withdraw police protection for the illegal construction and reject the environment and CRZ clearance for the project ” Please send the message by email or fax to 1. Director General of Police, Gujarat ( Fax 079 23246338, E-mail : dgp-gs@gujarat.gov.in)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">2. Jayanthi Natrajan, Minister of Environment and Forest (Fax: 011- 24362222 E mail: jayanthi.n@sansad.nic.in and mosefgoi@nic.in)</div><div style="text-align: justify;">3. B.K.Sharma, Conservator of Forests, Bhuj, Kutch (Email: cfkutchad1@sanchamet.in; Office No: 02832 220937)</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Please mark a copy of your email appeal to mass.kutch@gmail.com, so that we can send a consolidated list to the SP, Kutch.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">For more information on the issue and history of the struggle please see: http://masskutch.blogspot.com</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div><div style="text-align: justify;">1st November 2011</div></span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span> Ms. Jayanthi Natarajan </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>Union Minister of State Ministry of Environment and Forests </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;">Paryavaran Bhavan, </div><div style="text-align: justify;">CGO Complex New Delhi-110003</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>Subject: Urgent intervention to stop the Illegal Construction of 300 MW thermal power plant by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in ecologically fragile area of Bhadreshwar, Mundra Gujarat in violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 Reference: Show cause notice issued to M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd by Ministry of Environment and Forests and our submission to Shri T.Chhaterjee regarding cancellation of the CRZ clearance </span></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><br /></span></span></div><div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span class="Apple-tab-span" style="white-space: pre; "> </span>Dear Ms. Natarajan, It is with deep urgency that we are writing to you to point out the second instance of illegal construction activity being carried out by M/s OPG Power Pvt Ltd in Bhadreshwar, Mundra taluka in the ecologically fragile Kutch district of Gujarat. In November 2010, we had brought to the attention of the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) that the said company had initiated construction activity without the requisite approval under the Coastal Regulation Zone notification, 1991. The officials of the Ministry had issued a show cause notice on 15th December 2010 (See Annexure 1) to the company seeking explanation on why construction activity had been undertaken prior to all approvals being granted. This was following a site visit led by Dr. A Senthil Vel, Additional Director, MoEF on 6-7 December 2010, and included officials of the Gujarat Pollution Control Board and Gujarat Ecological Commission. The company had stopped the construction of the plant just prior to the site visit and after mass local protest against the construction. Following the grant of CRZ approval in September 2011, the company has now once again initiated construction at the project site. Truck loads of building material have been brought and dumped at the site and construction activity has been initiated. We are attaching photographs as evidence (See Annexure 2). However, we would like to be bring to your attention that the company has applied for the diversion of 3.6768 hectares of forest land only on 17.10.2011 and the application is yet to be processed. We are attaching the original as well as the translation of the response to an RTI application which has been received on 24.10.2011 for your reference which clearly indicates the above (See Annexure 3). This is the second time that M/s OPG has initiated construction activity completely disregarding the various environmental laws and procedures prescribed by the MoEF. With regards to the violations under the FCA we would like to reiterate the Section 4.4. of the Guidelines issued under the FCA which clearly indicates that no construction activity for a project involving both forest and non-forest land can be initiated prior to the forest clearance issued under the FCA. This applies to initiating construction activity even on non-forest land. We are attaching the letter issued on 21st March 2011 by MoEF strongly reiterating this position. We would also bring to your attention that the fishworkers and other coastal communities of Kutch, have written to Shri T.Chatterjee seeking his intervention to reject the CRZ clearance for intake/outfall pipelines for OPG power project on various grounds. Some of these include, The intake/outfall pipelines are proposed right next to Randh Bander which is Kutch’s second largest fish production centre, which is the only source of livelihoods for thousands of traditional fisherfolk in the Mundra coast. Due to high eroding nature of the Bhadreshwar coast, the sand dunes keep shifting continuously and the proposed pipelines pose a risk to the sand dunes at present and in future. Moreover, the Gujarat Fisheries department has opposed the OPG project in the area, and has plans to develop Randh Bander into a modern fish landing centre. Over the last few years we have written to the MoEF repeatedly highlighting the ecological and social importance of the area. M/s OPG has at several points of time disregarded legal procedures as they are doing so again now. While the current and previous instances have been stated above we would also like to bring to your attention that the company had simultaneously applied for the clearances for the 300 MW plant with the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for the expansion of 2600 MW before the MoEF without waiting for the decision of the SEIAA. The application was rejected when this was brought to the attention to the MoEF following a response received under Right to Information. We attach copies of the RTI response and MoEF's action taken as Annexure 4. Given the history and reputation of the company with repeated violations we have no faith that they will give regard to the interest of the local communities as initiated in the clearance conditions. We do hope that the need for this will not arise as M/s OPG will not be allowed to build the plant in the area which will disenfranchise a thriving fishing community and their fishing cultures. Moreover it will significantly impact one of the most fragile and biodiverse inter-tidal belts in the country today. We therefore urgently seek your intervention to: 1. Initiate Action against M/s OPG Power Gujarat Limited for repeated violations of environmental laws and specific violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 2. Direct the M/s OPG Power Gujarat Limited to immediately stop any construction activity or procurement of material in the area as it is in violations of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980. 3. Reject the proposal of the M/s OPG to construct the thermal power plant in the area on grounds of ecological and cultural fragility of the area and impacts on thriving fishing livelihoods. We sincerely look forward to your immediate action in this regard to put a stop to the illegal construction activity taking place in the area.</div><span><div style="text-align: justify;"><br /></div></span></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span>Thanking you. Yours Truly,</span></span><div style="text-align: justify;"><span><span><span><span lang="en-IN"><b></b></span></span></span></span></div></div>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7269842017639252874.post-30155824956468353532011-11-03T16:39:00.005+05:302011-11-21T10:25:49.953+05:30<div class="top_head" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 10px; padding-left: 0px; width: 660px; border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><h2 style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 25px/normal Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; 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font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "></div><div class="icon_links" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); width: 320px; float: left; border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 10px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 13px; text-align: -webkit-auto; "><div class="posted" style="margin-top: 10px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; width: 330px; float: left; "><strong style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 11px/18px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; display: block; "><span style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-weight: bold; "><b style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; color: rgb(1, 68, 107); "><a href="http://www.indianexpress.com/columnist/adamhalliday/" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; text-decoration: none; color: rgb(1, 68, 107); "></a></b></span></strong></div></div><span><span>ADAMHALLIDAYTags : OPG Power Ventures, Jayanthi Natarajan,Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan, Kutch fishermenPosted: Thu Nov 03 2011, 02:43 hrsAhmedabad:The 300-MW coal-based power plant proposed by OPG Power Ventures PLC near Bhadreshwar village in Kutch district may hit another hurdle. Local fishermen have written a letter to Union Minister of Environment and Forests Jayanthi Natarajan attaching RTI replies which suggest the company may have tripped the same wire twice — beginning constructions without obtaining necessary clearances.The Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had in De<br /><br />cember 2010 pulled up the company for beginning constructions at the site without obtaining Coastal Zone Regulation (CRZ) clearance for its intake and outfall channels — pipelines that would carry water to and from the sea to the plant.The company had set up barbed wire fences around the site, cleared vegetation, levelled the soil and initiated soil testing and compacting, according to a site inspection report by MoEF’s additional director A Senthilvel.Ads by GoogleSenthilvel’s visit and consequent actions had put a stop to the company’s work there and, after roughly nine months, a final clearance was given to the project in September 2011 after the company agreed to several riders; these included provisions of Rs 108 crore as Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) and environment measures by the company as well as several infrastructure re-designs that would mitigate adverse effects on the local pollution.But recently, the local fishermen’s association obtained RTI replies that showed the company applied for clearance to use about 3.6 hectares of forest land that would be part of the project. Although the application was made on October 17 and is currently pending at the office of the Chief Conservator of Forests, Kutch, OPG has apparently begun work on the plant site.This gains significance because in March 2011, the MoEF had issued a circular to all state and regional agencies under it, stating that such a move is not allowed. “Some projects involve use of forest land as well as non-forest land. State governments/project authorities sometimes start work on non-forest land in anticipation of the approval of the central government for release of the forest lands required for the projects,” the circular said.“Though the provisions of the (Forest Conservation Act 1980) may not have technically been violated by starting of work on non-forest lands, expenditure of works incurred on non-forest lands may prove to be infructous if diversion of forest land involved is not approved. It has, therefore, been decided that if a project involves forest as well as non-forest land, work should not be started on non-forest land till approval of the central government for release of forest land under the Act has been given,” it added.The Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan (MASS) has attached copies of the RTI replies and this particular circular to the letters it sent to Natarajan. The association has asked the minister to initiate action against the company and cancel the permission for setting up the plant. “Bhadreshwar is an important location for fisheries. Also, there is a proposal with the government to develop a fish landing centre in Bhadreshwar,” the letter said.Interestingly, even the state fisheries department has supported MASS’s stand. Last year, the deputy commissioner (fisheries) had asked the Kutch district collector to cancel the approval given to OPG, saying the “local fisherfolk/fishing is likely to be affected by the power plant which is coming up in Bhadreshwar village of Mundra taluka”.MASS is a fishermen’s association that claims a membership of 5,000, and has spearheaded a three-year long agitation against the power plant fearing it would damage nearby saltpans, kill fish in the sea and affect the inter-tidal mud-flats where the fishing community has for generations practiced a traditional form of fishing — pagadiya.</span></span><div class="txt" style="margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 30px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/20px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; border-left-width: 10px; border-left-style: solid; border-left-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-bottom-width: 10px; border-bottom-style: solid; border-bottom-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); border-top-width: 10px; border-top-style: solid; border-top-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); text-align: -webkit-auto; background-color: rgb(255, 255, 255); "><span style="color: rgb(63, 63, 63); margin-top: 0px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 0px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font-size: 14px; "><p style="margin-top: 8px; margin-right: 0px; margin-bottom: 8px; margin-left: 0px; padding-top: 0px; padding-right: 0px; padding-bottom: 0px; padding-left: 0px; font: normal normal normal 15px/20px Georgia, 'Times New Roman', Times, serif; color: rgb(0, 0, 0); text-align: justify; "></p></span></div>Machimar Adhikar Sangharsh Sangathan(MASS), Kutchhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03129613737692315509noreply@blogger.com0