A ray of hope can open up a bay of
opportunities…
Good Morning!
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
Monday, October 15, 2012
Good Morning Thought - 16th October 2012
If our belongings added weight to our
existence, the world would already have run out of space for housing
graveyards. The very fact that you
belong to Mother Earth is a matter of pride.
So, when humane acts justify your existence why waste the opportunity of
existence boasting about your material possessions…
Good Morning!
Protect Water Bodies of State - WIO Update - 12th October 2012
WIO Update on Surface Water Bodies of
Odisha – 12th October 2012
Water Initiatives
Odisha welcomes the High Court judgement asking Government of Odisha to
formulate a law to protect Water Bodies
As we come
to know from media reports, the Honourable High Court of Odisha have directed
the govt. of Odisha to formulate a law to protect water bodies of the state
within two years. WIO welcomes this
judgement and thanks the Honourable Court for this.
On January
28, 2011 the honourable Supreme Court of India, in a historic judgement, had
directed all the State Governments of the country to prepare schemes for
eviction of illegal/unauthorized occupants of Gram Sabha/Gram Panchayat/
Poramboke/ Shamlat land saying these must be restored to the Gram Sabha/Gram
Panchayat for the common use of villagers of the village. WIO had then urged upon the Govt. of Odisha
to see to the issues raised by this judgment and take appropriate action to
free all water bodies of the state from all sorts of encroachments and ensure
their protection and revival from the destructive forces including pollution
from industries and urbanization.
As of now we
don’t know what steps the state government has taken in that regard. What we can see from ground realities is that
more and more water bodies are being encroached by the rich and powerful both
in urban and rural areas. Now, after the
High Court judgement, the government must immediately step into action and free
all water bodies of the state from encroachment.
Surface
water bodies play a major role in retaining rain water and recharging the local
ecology. They are also a major
livelihood support system for many poor farmers and communities depending on
fishery. WIO therefore urges upon the
government to immediately declare a Plan of Action to free all water bodies of
state from all forms of encroachment.
Freeing
water bodies from encroachments would also lead to some discontent among local
people and some people might have to be displaced. The government must sensitively look into such
issues and where it involves displacement of poor people the government should
talk to them in a cohesive manner and provide appropriate rehabilitation.
However,
where the water bodies are encroached by the rich and powerful such as estate
developments and private builders they should be heavily fined and directed to
restore the water bodies with their own funds.
Odisha is already a water stressed state and we can no more neglect
water bodies, WIO urges.
WIO has been
urging upon the state government to formulate a Policy on Water Bodies. Time the government starts discussing with
people and experts on this and builds a strong Policy to protect, preserve and
rejuvenate all water bodies of the state.
The state must ensure that not a single water body dies of encroachment,
industrialization, pollution and urbanisation, WIO demands.
For
further information, please contact:
Ranjan
Panda
Convenor
Water
Initiatives Odisha, India: Fighting water woes, combating climate change... more than two decades now!
Lead, Water Core
Group, NGO Forum on ADB, Manila
You can also
mail me at: ranjan.waterman@facebook.com
Skype: ranjan.climatecrusader
Please join our
group 'Save Rivers Save Civilizations' at http://www.facebook.com/groups/220598744649462
Water talks to
me, I speak for Water...
Water
Initiatives Odisha (WIO) is a state level coalition of civil society
organisations, farmers, academia, media and other concerned, which has been
working on water, environment and climate change issues in the state for more
than two decades now.
Sunday, October 14, 2012
Bijli chor Vedanta...
Dear All,
The Vedanta company which is putting in an all out campaign to show that its closure at Lanjigarh will halt development in the state, obviously to influence the current process going on in the Supreme Court, has been found indulged in bijli chori as well. Please see the news below for details.
So, green criminal Vedanta, which is has been caught being a Water Lootera, is now a Bijli chor.... Some people who still live with the myth that such a company, which is looting our resources to thrive itself will develop our state, should now wake up to the reality.
Thanks and regards,
Ranjan
=============
OERC whip on Vedanta
Bhubaneswar : 14/October/2012
The Vedanta Aluminium Ltd (VAL) was found illegally sourcing power from Group Company, Sterlite Energy Limited (SEL) causing losses to the tune of Rs 15crores to the Reliance Infra-owned licensed distribution company WESCO in Odisha.
Holding the activities of VAL as “illegal”, the Odisha Electricity Regulatory Commission (OERC) has directed the Vedanta to cough up the amount due to the DISCOM.
Importantly, the Commission, while disposing off the case, has defined the terms “Open Access’ and “deemed licensee” in a Special Economic Zone (SEZ) which will have far reaching ramifications.
The Vedanta Aluminium Limited (VAL) aluminum manufacturing unit at Jharsuguda in Odisha which has been notified as a SEZ was sourcing power directly form Group company SEL, Independent Power Plant (IPP) located adjacent to the SEZ through a dedicated 400 KV double circuit transmission line.
Claiming that the VAL-SEZ’s sourcing power from SEL-IPP amounts to Open Access drawl of power, the WESCO, which is the sole licensee for power distribution in the area, demanded cross subsidy surcharge on the quantum of power availed by VAL-SEZ.
The Odisha Power Transmission Corporation Limited (OPTCL), the sole licensee for transmission business, also raised objection to the SEL-IPP’s “illegal” laying of 400 KV line in their areas of operation. GRIDCO, the sole bulk power supplier, and the SLDC also become party to the case protesting against these activities of Vedanta.
Interestingly, when the OERC construed that the VAL-SEZ’s sourcing of power is Open Access drawl of power and directed the Vedanta to pay the cross-subsidy surcharge to WESCO, Vedanta came before the Commission with two applications seeking approval for PPA between VAL-SEZ and SEL-IPP, and license for VAL –SEZ to carryout distribution business inside the SEZ area.
Vedanta claimed that the SEZ notification has given the promoter the status of deemed licensee. “So, according distribution licensee by the OERC is only a formality.”
It claimed that there is no illegality in VAL-SEZ directly sourcing power from SEL-IPP and it does not amount to Open Access drawl of power. Ridiculously, Vedanta put forth that the individual units of the aluminium plant such as pot lines, carbon plant, cast house etc. are individual consumers of power.
The three-member Commission, comprising Chairman SP Nanda, members B K Mishra and S.P.Swain, rejected the applications of Vedanta and directed the company to pay the cross subsidy surcharge to the WESCO.
“Consequent upon the rejection of this application the applicant is be treated as consumer of WESCO, the existing DISCOM of the area. As a result M/s. VAL-SEZ has to pay cross-subsidy surcharge to WESCO for Open Access drawl of power from M/s. SEL”, observed the OERC.
While passing the order, last week, the OERC has also made some adverse remarks about the company:
“It has been stated earlier that much before the application for PPA with M/s. SEL and the present application for grant of distribution license were filed, the applicant has been enjoying power in an illegal and unauthorized manner from M/s. SEL through a 400 KV double circuit transmission line.”
Stating that the present application for grant of distribution license is a ploy by which the consumer wants to escape from payment of open access charges, the Commission has observed that this is a matter where the substance should prevail over form - the applicant cannot take shelter under a web of technicalities to subvert the purpose of the Act.
“This is not a genuine application for taking a distribution license for giving supply of electricity to genuine consumers in a particular area to increase competition and efficiency. This is an attempt to avoid payment of open access charges for unauthorized drawl of power from M/s. SEL for a number of years”, remarked the Commission.
Good Morning Thought - 15th October 2012
Surrendering in Love takes you to a state
of absolute trust; a stage from where you may either emerge stronger or become
further vulnerable…
Good Morning! Have a Great Week!!
Saturday, October 13, 2012
Sunday Thought - 14th October 2012
Love fills, hatred kills…
Care heals, neglect annihilates…
Good Morning! Happy Sunday!!
Friday, October 12, 2012
Weekend Thought - 13th October 2012
Capability of creating something should not
be invested in speed and volume of the creation but in quality of it, with due
consideration of its impacts…
Good Morning! Great Weekend!!
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)