16th December 2014
New Indian Express
CUDDALORE: Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB) has ordered the IL&FS Power Company near Chidambaram to stop all construction work at the site, following the cancellation of environmental clearance by the National Green Tribunal last month.
Earlier, in 2012, the IL&FS company was ordered by the Tribunal to conduct a rapid cumulative impact assessment study of the environment and was granted environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment and Forests after reviewing the study.
Three persons – T Muruganandham of Killai village, T Arulselvam of Naduveerapattu and S Ramanathan of Semmankuppam village – moved the National Green Tribunal against the environmental clearance. They argued that the crucial cumulative impact assessment studies were carried out in a hasty manner and the same were completed in two weeks without adhering to the universally accepted scientific parameters.
Earlier, on November 10, the National Green Tribunal, New Delhi, cancelled the environmental clearance for the IL&FS power project. Following this, the TNPCB too cancelled the permission. When contacted, environmental engineer of Cuddalore district A Raja said, “As the environmental clearance had been cancelled, the board had passed the order on December 6 to stop the construction work.”
He further said, “As we have issued the order, the company should stop further construction work with immediate effect. Only after the company obtains clearance order from the Ministry can the permission for further construction work be granted.”
Arulselvam, environmental activist from Cuddalore, said, “While taking the environment study, the company did not follow the parameters. Instead, it had used old data. This time, the company should take into consideration the cumulative environment impact in detail while preparing the report.”
It is also to be noted here that Chidambaram MLA K Balakrishnan of CPM had announced that his party men would picket the power company on December 16, pressing it to stop construction in line with the Tribunal order.