BHUBANESWAR: Pointing out alleged flaws in Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) prepared for the proposed port at Dhamra in Orissa's Bhadrak district, international environmental pressure group Greenpeace on Wednesday sought a fresh EIA before implementation of the project.

Impact on turtles

Addressing a press conference here on Wednesday, Greenpeace's Ocean Campaigner Asish Fernades said Greenpeace Research Laboratories, School of Biosciences, Exeter University in United Kingdom found serious and fundamental flaws in Dhamra port project.

"The Dhamra port will be located in an ecologically sensitive area, five km from the Bhitarakanika Sanctuary and less than 15 km from the Gahirmatha nesting beaches, the world's largest mass nesting site for Olive Ridley turtles," he said.

Main objections

Mr. Fernades pointed out: "The main flaws relate to poor baseline ecological data, a complete omission of the impacts of turtles, impact of noise and chemical pollution and a poor hazard analysis and emergency plan.

To top it all, the EIA considers a port site that is completely different from the one currently being developed."

The EIA was analysed by Paul Johnston and David Santillo of Exter University and the two scientists were of the view that the EIA ignored potential impacts of climate change, which the Orissa coast was prone to.

Letter addressed

The environmental pressure group addressed a letter to B. Muthuraman, Managing Director of Tata Steel, to respond on the flaws in EIA.

"If the company, which boasts for its proven sensitiveness toward environmental cause, fails to respond, we will chalk out our next course of action," Mr. Fernades said.

Dhamra port is being jointly promoted by Tata Steel and L&T Limited with an estimate investment of Rs. 2,400 crores.

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