Impact Assessment (EIA) of the Athirappilly hydel power project was not properly carried out and 70% of it is bogus. The panel, appointed by the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests, was asked to look into and give recommendations on various projects in the Western Ghats such as the hydroelectric projects in Gundiya in Karnataka and Athirappilly in Kerala and the overall development projects in Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts of Maharashtra. Gadgil said that the proposed Athirappilly hydro-electric project cannot be approved until the Forest Rights Act is implemented in its true spirit for the Kadar tribal community of the area and also no comprehensive study had been carried out so far on the natural riparian forest vegetation along the Western Ghats. On 14 June 2011, Union Minister for Environment and Forests Jairam Ramesh said his ministry would not grant approval to the Athirappilly hydro electric project. The minister also stated “When states are denied such projects on larger and long-term environmental considerations, they are entitled to some sort of green bonus,” The first part of WGEEP report was submitted to the Ministry on August 31. The Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP), on Sep 6th 2011 recommended to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests against granting permission to carry out any construction activities at the sensitive Athirappilly-Vazhachal region. The panel, which submitted its report to Union Environment Minister Jayanti Natarajan in the capital, named Athirappilly as one of the 18 eco-sensitive localities (ESL) in the state. But K. Radhakrishnan, a former member (generation), KSEB, has opined that this panel report was highly biased with vested interests and the project was eco-friendly doing minimum damage to environment and forests because KSEB itself has its own vested interests if the Dam Project takes life . While there are reports from renowned experts from Kerala State Biodiversity Board that the power project would adversely affect the ecology of the area and the estimated power output would be dependable upon the rainfall and dry summer seasons, which is undependable in its own way. M. Sivasankar, a KSEB chairman and MD states the need of more environment-friendly power projects with lower operating cost and higher output like super critical boiler plants. See also Vazhachal Falls Charpa Falls List of waterfalls in India List of waterfalls in India by height Notes and references External links Prince Charles, celebrated his 65th birthday in Athirappilly Visiting