Polavaram row: State seeks relook at green clearances

Polavaram row: State seeks relook at green clearances

By Express News ServicePublished: 10th June 2016 05:45 AMLast Updated: 10th June 2016 05:45 AM
Email0BHUBANESWAR: The State Government has stepped up its opposition to the Polavaram dam project and demanded that all clearances given to it should be examined again.
The State Government recently approached the National Commission for Scheduled Tribes (NCST) and requested it to re-examine all clearances given to the project including forest and environment clearance and consent accorded to it by the Ministry of Tribal Affairs and technical advisory committee (TAC).
As many as 7,656 hectares of land including 25 tribal villages will be submerged on Odisha side because of the project. Official sources said 5,916 tribals and 902 others will be affected by the project taking the total displaced persons to 6,818.
The State Government has already filed a case in the Supreme Court urging it to stop construction of the project. Besides, it has also demanded that the Centre should review the clearances given by Ministries of Environment and Forest and Tribal Affairs for the project.An Assembly committee comprising 25 MLAs from all political parties was also constituted in December, 2015 to meet Prime Minister Narendra Modi and apprise him about the project. The issue was taken up by the House committee after members cutting across party lines voiced concern. The lawmakers from three major political parties - BJD, Congress and BJP - opposed the project and expressed their concern over the development taking place in the neighbouring State Andhra Pradesh. Besides Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Telangana have also opposed the project because of the possibility of displacement of tribal villagers.