Former union secretary and environmental activist Dr EAS Sarma has filed a petition in the National Green Tribunal seeking a direction cancelling environmental clearance (EC) given by Andhra Pradesh State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority for construction of new capital at Amaravati.
The petition has made the Union of India, Capital Region Development Authority, State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and A.P. Pollution Control Board as the respondents.
Dr Sarma, who was responsible for the cancelation of many thermal plants which were planned to set up against the norms, challenged the EC granted by the SEIAA for setting up the capital at Amaravati in 217.23 sq. km area covering 23 villages in Thulluru, Tadepalli and Mangalagiri mandals in Guntur District.
According to Sarma the capital city Amaravati was being developed in an ecologically sensitive zone comprising fertile multi-crop agricultural lands, unidentified wetlands, forests, islands, streams and the River Krishna.
The decision to allow capital at Amaravati would go against the guidelines of the National Green Tribunal and not in conformity with the guidelines issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, he said in the petition.
He said many important aspects pertaining to the preservation of environment had not been studied for the purpose issuing clearance. One such aspect as Ambient Air Quotient (AAQ).
“It is submitted that the proposed Capital City seeks to build number of townships, variety of industries including Polluting Industries, Infrastructure projects such as Railways, Roads for Vehicular transportation, Electricity projects, Administrative Buildings, Business Hubs and Information Technology sector development areas, etc. By virtue of these proposed activities, there will be inevitable pollution which will be released into the atmosphere and such Pollution will have its effect on the Ambient Air Quality of the project area as well as the surrounding areas. That it is submitted that nothing in the SEAC & SEIAA meeting minutes and Environmental Clearance 13 letter indicate that this issue of project’s impact on Ambient Air Quality has been studied by project proponent and appraised by the SEAC and SEIAA,” he said in the petition.
