Posted: Wednesday, Dec 16, 2009 at 0404 hrs Ahmedabad:
A three-member state government committee from the Department of Forest and Environment had recommended against permitting Essar Bulk Terminal limited to set up a thermal power project at the Marine National Park ‘eco-fragile’ area in Jamnagar district on December 31 last year, an RTI filed by Pankti Jog from the Ahmedabad-based NGO Janpath has revealed.
But, according to the official communiqué — to Essar Power Gujarat Limited — by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forest, environment clearance was given to the 1,200 MW coal-based power project at Nana Mandha, Jamnagar district on July 17, 2009.
According to the Forest Department officials, the state government had formed a committee on November 10, 2008 to find out the status quo, as the project fell under the Marine National Sanctuary.
Pradeep Khanna, the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wildlife; H S Singh, Chief Conservator of Forest, Land; and J K Vyas, Director Environment, were members of the committee. They had recommended against giving a go-ahead to the project.
The RTI said: “It was desired that the area that is required to be dredged be examined for the presence of corals. In the first meeting, representatives of the applicant company were also called, who had the area photographed by the divers. But the report made available by Essar to the three committee members remained inconclusive in the first meeting.”
On December 31, 2008 a meeting was again called in the presence of the conservator of forest, Marine National Park.
The boundary of forests, Marine National Park, Marine Sanctuary and the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) were examined. It was found that the area required to be used by the company included some parts of the forest area notified under Section-4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Besides, it also fell under the CRZ-1 area. Though it did not fall within the boundaries of the Marine National Park, the extent of the area required by the user agency covered was likely to be a part of the ‘eco-fragile’ area of the marine national park, it said.
But, two days later, a new report was formed and the project was given a go-ahead, sources said.
Khanna, now the PCCF, Administration said: “The committee recommended against permitting the thermal project, saying that it is an ‘eco-fragile’ area. But it is up to the Centre to decide on this issue.”
In the reply to the RTI query, the committee recommended that “the state government should not consider any fresh proposal to allow the laying of pipelines through this area and all other user agencies should be diverted to other ports in Gujarat.”
Jog said: “There are two reports of the committee; one, that we already have and the other is yet to be given by the Forest dept. Earlier, the information was denied citing security concerns following the Mumbai attacks. But, in the interest of public, one part of the report was gathered a few days ago by Janpath in a reply to the RTI query.”
A three-member state government committee from the Department of Forest and Environment had recommended against permitting Essar Bulk Terminal limited to set up a thermal power project at the Marine National Park ‘eco-fragile’ area in Jamnagar district on December 31 last year, an RTI filed by Pankti Jog from the Ahmedabad-based NGO Janpath has revealed.
But, according to the official communiqué — to Essar Power Gujarat Limited — by the Government of India, Ministry of Environment and Forest, environment clearance was given to the 1,200 MW coal-based power project at Nana Mandha, Jamnagar district on July 17, 2009.
According to the Forest Department officials, the state government had formed a committee on November 10, 2008 to find out the status quo, as the project fell under the Marine National Sanctuary.
Pradeep Khanna, the then Principal Chief Conservator of Forest (PCCF), Wildlife; H S Singh, Chief Conservator of Forest, Land; and J K Vyas, Director Environment, were members of the committee. They had recommended against giving a go-ahead to the project.
The RTI said: “It was desired that the area that is required to be dredged be examined for the presence of corals. In the first meeting, representatives of the applicant company were also called, who had the area photographed by the divers. But the report made available by Essar to the three committee members remained inconclusive in the first meeting.”
On December 31, 2008 a meeting was again called in the presence of the conservator of forest, Marine National Park.
The boundary of forests, Marine National Park, Marine Sanctuary and the Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) were examined. It was found that the area required to be used by the company included some parts of the forest area notified under Section-4 of the Indian Forest Act, 1927. Besides, it also fell under the CRZ-1 area. Though it did not fall within the boundaries of the Marine National Park, the extent of the area required by the user agency covered was likely to be a part of the ‘eco-fragile’ area of the marine national park, it said.
But, two days later, a new report was formed and the project was given a go-ahead, sources said.
Khanna, now the PCCF, Administration said: “The committee recommended against permitting the thermal project, saying that it is an ‘eco-fragile’ area. But it is up to the Centre to decide on this issue.”
In the reply to the RTI query, the committee recommended that “the state government should not consider any fresh proposal to allow the laying of pipelines through this area and all other user agencies should be diverted to other ports in Gujarat.”
Jog said: “There are two reports of the committee; one, that we already have and the other is yet to be given by the Forest dept. Earlier, the information was denied citing security concerns following the Mumbai attacks. But, in the interest of public, one part of the report was gathered a few days ago by Janpath in a reply to the RTI query.”
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