Almost nine months after the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) said Mayawati’s 33.43 hectare Noida Park memorial project is too ?small? for its ?environmental clearance?, it filed an affidavit on Tuesday in the Supreme Court saying that an ?integrated and holistic? environment impact assessment is a must. The ministry’s affidavit shows that its take on Mayawati’s ?dream? project has considerably changed from that of October 22, 2009, when it told the Supreme Court that ?no environmental clearance? from the ministry was required for the project.
Now, the ministry is armed with documents ranging from impact assessment reports to views from bird conservation specialists, the Wildlife Institute of India and expert consultants on the project’s environmental impact. ?Given the gravity of the matter concerned and the complex nature of the project along with its impact on the surrounding biodiversity and its proximity to the Okhla bird sanctuary, the MoEF needs to get the measures recommended by three institutions, whetted by an appropriate body possessing the requisite expertise, particularly in the field of wildlife preservation and biodiversity,? explains the affidavit, filed by the ministry’s assistant inspector general Uma Kant through advocate Harris Beeran.
The MoEF informs that an expert appraisal committee of the ministry has already reviewed the expert reports in its meeting held on June 28-29.
?The MoEF will now move to examine the matter further in an integrated and holistic manner before arriving at a final and conclusive decision,? the affidavit concludes, clearly seeking more time from the Supreme Court.
On the other hand, the October 2009 affidavit on record with the Supreme Court says the project, by its size and girth, does not fall even within the ?threshold limit? mandatory to trigger off an impact study.
The ministry then explained that as per a 2006 ministry notification, environment impact assessment is only required if a construction project crosses a threshold 20,000 square metres in built-up area on a plot not less than 50 hectares. The ministry said that Noida memorial had a built-up area of only 9,542 square metres in a plot 33.43 hectares big. ?No environmental clearance is required for such land project with measurements below the threshold limit,? the October 2009 affidavit said. Tuesday’s affidavit will be heard on Friday before the Green Bench led by Chief Justice of India SH Kapadia, who has cautioned parties against adjournments in the case. The CJI had chosen Mayawati’s case as first in the list of environmental matters to be heard by him. The apex court on October 9, 2009 had stayed construction and masonry work at the park on a plea by the court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The committee had objected to building huge concrete structures and statues on the bank of River Yamuna after felling over 6,000 trees.