Activist denied info on environment clearance

Assam Tribune: Guwahatti: Tuesday, 03 March 2015.

It seems the State Level Environment Assessment Authority (SEIAA) of the State is trying to cover up some environment-related information of public interest. Or else, RTI-cum-environment activist Rohit Choudhury sees no reason as to why it should deny him information on the environment clearance it has issued to the ‘B’ Category projects. The information assumes significance because of the presence of several such projects in the radius of 10 km from the Kaziranga National Park (KNP).

The ‘B’ Category projects include mining of minor mineral covering less than 50 hectares (like stone quarries and sand mining, etc), hydroelectric power projects of less than 50 MW, coal-based thermal power project of less than 50 MW, construction projects covering less than 2,00,000 square metres, township project in less than 50 hectares, and cement plant generating less than one million tonnes per annum.

The SEIAA, Assam, has not furnished the information under RTI Act, 2005, to Choudhury till date on the Environment Clearance (EC) issued to the Category ‘B’ projects between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014.

Choudhury filed an RTI application on November 6, 2014 seeking information on the number of ECs issued to the Category ‘B’ projects between October 1, 2013 and September 30, 2014.

Choudhry alleged that as the information was not furnished by SEIAA, a First Appeal in this regard was filed on Dec 29, 2014, with a request to provide him the information free of cost, as SEIAA has violated the stipulated time period of providing information within 30 days from receiving the RTI application.

But the chairman of SEIAA furnished him only half information on January 8, 2015. On the copies of the Environment Clearance, he was told, “Necessary cost shall be paid to the authority for photocopies of EC issued by SEIAA, Assam for B category projects. Amount required to be paid will be intimated to you later on.”

Choudhury contends that Section 7(6) of RTI Act, 2005, states “Notwithstanding anything contained in sub-section (5), the person making request for the information shall be provided the information free of charge where a public authority fails to comply with the time limits specified in sub-section (1).”

The above information is important to know the number of projects (especially stone quarries) accorded environment clearance by the State government with prior approval of the National Board for Wildlife to operate within a 10-km radial distance from KNP. The government has turned a blind eye to the rampant mining in the adjoining Karbi Anglong hills.

The June 18, 2003 letter of the then Director of KNP, in this connection has been ignored by the State government, he said. On top of all these, none of the minutes of the last six meetings of National Board for Wildlife has any reference of the mining activities around KNP, and therefore, it is unlikely that any of the stone quarries has approval of NBWL, Choudhury said.