The Hindu : Front Page / Accidents & Calamitie : Entire environmental clearance process has been subverted, says Jayalalithaa

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Sunday, Jun 26, 2005

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Entire environmental clearance process has been subverted, says Jayalalithaa

Special Correspondent

Chief Minister expresses inability to participate in the inaugural function

CHENNAI: Chief Minister Jayalalithaa has expressed shock at the way "the entire environmental clearance process has been subverted in the pursuit of an immediate mega function and publicity organised as a political road show" for the foundation stone laying of the Sethusamudram canal project.

Making it clear that she is unable to bring herself "to participate in this function on 2nd July at Madurai," Ms. Jayalalithaa has taken strong exception to what she called the "abuse of the environmental clearance process."

In a four-page statement issued here on Saturday, she said: "The whole point is that while the project is most important, it can only be undertaken after great care and preparation, paying attention to the environmental concerns." The Chief Minister noted: "The travesty of this clearance process will be noticed as all the environmental concerns have been brushed away and simply put as conditions to the clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India. This has raised genuine worries among fishermen and all the people in the coastal districts as to what really lies in store once the project work commences."

Ms. Jayalalithaa said the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board set up an experts committee, with the former Director, National Institute of Ocean Technology, M. Ravindran, as Chairman. It concluded that the Environmental Impact Assessment Report prepared by NEERI had a number of "deficiencies" and highlighted the important action to be undertaken to complete the assessment under different heads — Baseline Studies, Scoping and Environmental Management Plan. "Only when these suggested studies are carried out, can the total impact of the project be fully understood.

This understanding is necessary to arrive at suitable decisions on the execution of the SSC project," it noted.

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