VIJAYAWADA: The Ministry of Forest and Environment (MoEF) has issued show-cause notices to the Andhra Pradesh government seeking information as to why it proceeded with the construction of Purushottapatnam Lift Irrigation Project without requisite environmental clearance. The notices were issued after a team from MoEF, Chennai, submitted a report to the ministry, following the orders of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
Speaking to TNIE, a top-ranking official from the State government said, “We have received show cause notices from MoEF as to how the Purushotttapatnam project was constructed without environmental clearance. We are preparing an affidavit that the project in question is not a separate project as it was being built on the bank of Godavari to just pump water. Hence, it doesn’t need an environmental clearance.”
The Water Resources department officials also met MoEF officials in New Delhi explaining the same.
For the record, the NGT had pulled up the MoEF in July for being silent when the project was being constructed. When the ministry told the tribunal, as informed by the State government, that Purushottapatnam was a part of Polavaram project, the tribunal sought to know why there was a separate detailed project report (DPR) for the lift irrigation project in that case.
The NGT also pointed out that the Union Water Resources ministry, in an affidavit, stated that Purushottapatnam project wasn’t part of Polavaram project. It then directed the MoEF to submit a report on the issue. After the report was submitted, the MoEF served the show cause notices, the officials said.