VIJAYAWADA: The Andhra Pradesh Capital Region Development Authority (APCRDA) had indulged in digital forgery and falsification of EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) and EMP (Environmental Management Plan) of Amaravati capital city prepared by TATA Consulting Engineers Limited, claims Pandalaneni Srimannarayana, who has moved National Green Tribunal (NGT) against the State Government for violating environmental norms.
The same argument was put forth by him before NGT Principal Bench headed by NGT chairperson Justice Swatanter Kumar on Thursday.
“We have explained with evidence about the digital forgery,” Pandalaneni said.
According to him, in the Declaration by Experts contributing to EIA and EMP study of Amaravati city, the report of which is put on public domain (APCRDA website), signature of one Ashish Deshpande, an expert in water pollution, had date 28-07-2014 in handwriting, while the printed date is September 4, 2015.
Even in the declaration by the head of the accredited consultant organisation/authorised person, Ashish Deshpande’s signature carried the same date – 28-07-2014 – in handwriting with no printed date.
He had signed the document on the authority of being deputy general manager for the EIA consultant organisation. “How can his signature be that old. It predates the formation of APCRDA itself, which was formed in Dec 2014. In fact, the study was carried out between May 1, 2015 and August 30, 2015,” Pandalaneni claimed.
Meanwhile, the hearing in the two-year-long case was concluded on Thursday and the NGT has reserved its judgment.
APCRDA said senior advocate A K Ganguli and Guntur Prabhakar along with other advocates have argued the case on behalf of the State Government. The release said every information sought by the Tribunal was submitted to it. APCRDA commissioner Ch Sridhar and other higher officials had appeared before the Tribunal, whenever they were summoned, it added.
When contacted, Ch Sridhar said he would look into the allegations made by the petitioner.