Kullu: Amid allegations of environmental damage and regulatory violations, Dinesh Butail, a prominent tea grower from Palampur, has disclosed to the National Green Tribunal (NGT) that the hydroelectricity project he owned in Kasol had been transferred to a new firm.In an affidavit submitted recently to the NGT, Butail stated that the Grahan Kasol hydro project was transferred to M/s Aptsgreen Power Private Limited through an agreement dated March 6, 2025, and thus “all rights, responsibilities and liabilities in relation to the project are now vested with the new project proponent”.Following the agreement, Aptsgreen Ltd took over the entire project on Dec 19, 2025, stated the affidavit.Responding to allegations of environmental harm caused by blasting, Butail replied that the blasting for tunnel work was confined to a “mere patch” of a few feet and was discontinued on Jan 24, 2026.“No disruptive activity is being carried out within village limits, and drinking water sources and grazing lands are located 400-500 metres away and outside the zone of impact,” read the reply submitted by Butail.It further stated that the new project proponent had modified the tunnel alignment and execution methods to address concerns regarding slope stability, vibration impact and safety of nearby villages and habitations.Butail’s reply follows directions issued by the Tribunal on an application moved last year by Chandresh Kumar on behalf of the residents of Thunja village near Kasol in Kullu district.In the application, it was alleged that 5-MW each Graham Kasol hydro project and Kasol small hydro project, which were allotted to Beena Butail, the wife of veteran Congress leader Brij Bihari Butail and the mother of Palampur Congress MLA Ashish Butail, had caused extensive environmental damage due to the blasting and excavation activities during the construction of head race tunnels right below Thunja village.It was alleged in the application that the work on these projects was carried out without conducting any studies on slope stability, vibration impact and disaster-risk assessment. The applicant also accused the proponents of the two projects of “regulatory evasion” and deliberately hiding facts to avoid scrutiny and cumulative appraisal of the project.In his affidavit, Butail also denied allegations of “project splitting” by stating that the Grahan Kasol hydro project and Kasol hydro project are two independent projects with separate approvals and project reports.‘Project Not Illegal’ (Box)In the affidavit, Dinesh Butail acknowledged that certain components of the Grahan Kasol hydro project fall within the Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ) of the Kanawar Wildlife Sanctuary in the Parvati valley of Kullu. However, the ESZ areas function as regulated buffer zones, and not as absolute no-development zones, the affidavit stated. “The mere presence of the project within the ESZ does not render it illegal,” stated the affidavit. On the issue of the project’s proximity to the wildlife sanctuary, the respondent rejected allegations of “distance manipulation”, stating that variations in reported distances were due to differences in methodology and refinement of mapping techniques.MSID:: 130854106 413 |
