Koel Dam in Jharkhand gets eco clearance

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change's (MoEF&CC's) Forest Advisory Committee (FAC) has given Stage II clearance for the construction of the North Koel Dam in the core area of Palamau Tiger Reserve in Latehar and Garhwa districts of Jharkhand. The clearance also comes with the permission to start construction and re-settle the 15 villages which will be submerged by the project before closing the sluice gates of the dam. The project was accorded Stage-I approval on February 23, 2018 with a rider that the settlement of the project-impacted families should take place before construction starts. The financial burden of settlement will be borne by the Central Government and the state's task will be to ensure time-bound settlement. The foundation stone for the project was laid by the PM amidst local protests.