The Hindu : Front Page : Red signal for Mayawati’s Noida park

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Red signal for Mayawati’s Noida park

J. Venkatesan

Supreme Court committee recommends stoppage of work pending eco-clearance

Mayawati….Can’t have her way

NEW DELHI: The Central Empowered Committee appointed by the Supreme Court has recommended that the Uttar Pradesh Government be told to stop all construction work for the upcoming Noida park project till environmental clearance is obtained from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests.

The Committee in its report submitted to the Supreme Court on Friday said, “The project area does not fall in the category of forest and does not require approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act; the project requires environmental clearance. Since the eco-sensitive zones around the national parks and sanctuaries have not so far been decided/notified, there is no legal bar against the implementation of the project on account of being adjacent to the Okhla Bird Sanctuary.” However, “had this exercise been done timely, the project area in all probability would have fallen within the eco-sensitive zone.”

It was alleged by environmentalists that since the construction site was merely 20 feet away from the Okhla Bird Sanctuary it would have an ecological impact on the park with the noise and dust pollution rising because of the ongoing construction. The construction, the loss of the greenery as well as the light pollution would have an enormous impact on the birds, it was pointed out.

Further it was alleged that nearly 6,000 trees had been chopped down for the project and the Mayawati Government had ignored a mandatory environment impact assessment required for such a project.

Acting on a petition submitted to it, the Supreme Court referred the matter to the Central Empowered Committee.

In its first letter to the Committee on August 24, the Union Environment and Forests Ministry said the land used for the park was not forest land nor any environment clearance was required for it. Besides, the Ministry said, there was no violation of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, as the notification for the Okhla Bird Sanctuary was yet to be issued.

Even as the Committee was preparing its report for submission to the Supreme Court, the Mayawati Government strongly protested against the Centre’s move to “influence” the Committee to change its opinion.

In its report submitted on Friday, the Committee has made it clear that environmental clearance is necessary for the project. “If the project is found by the Ministry of Environment and Forests to be environmentally viable, it may allow the project subject to the appropriate safeguards/conditions. This will also imply that pending the environmental clearance no further works should be carried out.”

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