Environmental clearance to Kaleshwaram given in violation of law: NGT

News: The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has held that environmental clearance (EC) to Kaleshwaram Lift Irrigation Project (KLIP) was granted ex post facto, after completion of substantial work, by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) “in violation of law”.

Facts:

• Location: Kaleshwaram Multipurpose Lift Irrigation Project is located in Telangana. It was initiated in 2016 on the Godavari River.
• It is touted as the world’s largest multi-stage, multi-purpose lift irrigation
• Details: The total length of Kaleshwaram project is approximately 1,832 kms. It has 20 reservoirs spread across 13 districts with a total capacity to store 145 TMC.
• Significance:
  • The project will support crop cultivation on 45 lakh acres of land.
  • It will also meet the drinking water requirement of 70% of the state and also cater to the needs of the industry.