September 28, 2011
India

Now, Suzlon’s wind power project gets stuck in row

www.indianexpress.com 28 September 2011

After Nirma Cement and Adani Power plants, now Suzlon’s ambitious wind park project in Saurashtra is mired in a controversy over potential hazards it may cause to environment and natural resources.

Rajkot Congress MP Kunvarji Bavalia has taken up the issue and has announced that he would launch an agitation from October 1 to protest against the hazards the Suzlon project can cause to the environment and local resources in the region.

Just when the work on ground has begun for generation of 1000 MW of wind power, the locals have accused that grazing and wasteland in Rajkot and Surendranagar districts has been allotted for giant wind mills. They have also alleged that approach roads and farms have been badly hit by the measures undertaken to set up the plant.

The MoU for the plant was signed at Vibrant Gujarat Global Investor’s Summit this year,

“As Suzlon began the ground work, they have badly hit several roads and approaches to villages, farms and even important establishments to facilitate the work,” said Bavalia, adding, “The state government has allotted grazing and wasteland on large scale without the consent of the locals.”

According to Bavalia, several small and big mounds are now under the possession of Suzlon in Surendranagar and Rajkot districts as the company is in process of developing wind parks.

“Natural resources and roads are being used as per the needs of the company. It has been causing great problems to environment and inconvenience to locals,” the MP said.

Bavalia said he has sought technical details of the project from the state government and will get it in a day or two.

He further said people of Kanesara, Bhadli, Khadwavi, Anandpar, Dheduki and Panchvat among others will hold an assembly soon at Rajkot to decide their further course of action.

“We have written to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and the state government on the issue. If no corrective course is taken, we will start an intense agitation,” Bavalia added.

Suzlon’s installation across Kutch, Porbandar, Rajkot and Bhavnagar districts generate 1,100 MW wind power in the state.

URL to article:  https://www.wind-watch.org/news/2011/09/28/now-suzlons-wind-power-project-gets-stuck-in-row/