BHUBANESWAR: Odisha government’s plans for tourism and infrastructure projects in sensitive zones of critical protected areas (PAs) of the state have drawn the notice of the Supreme Court-appointed Central Empowered Committee (CEC).
The panel has now called for a meeting and asked chief secretary Manoj Ahuja to discuss crucial tourism and bridge infrastructure projects as well as the matter pertaining to eco sensitive zone (ESZ) finalisation. The meeting is scheduled on July 17 at New Delhi.
Sources said issues of governance and execution model for tourism infrastructure which have a bearing on sanctuaries, national parks, tiger reserve areas and Ramsar sites will be taken up by the CEC. Similarly, tourism projects requiring forest and ESZ clearances and stake of the Tourism department in ESZ finalisation will also be discussed.
The SC-constituted panel has also asked the principal chief conservator of forests (general), PCCF (wildlife) and Secretary, Tourism department to be take part in the meeting which will specifically discuss two critical infrastructure projects in the state.
One of the contentious projects is the proposed construction of a two-lane national highway over Chilika lagoon by the National Highways Authority of India. The 7.740 km project, estimated at a cost of around Rs 526.08 crore, had prompted the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to seek a cost-benefit analysis from the state government.
Chilika, besides being a Ramsar site, is home to the endangered Irrawady dolphins and one of the largest wintering grounds for the migratory birds.
The other project the panel seeks to review is the plan for a high-level bridge over Mahanadi river near the ecologically sensitive Satkosia tiger reserve (TR).
The meeting assumes significance in view of the apprehensions wildlife experts and conservationists have raised over implementation of such plans as well as in view of the judicial review of tourism projects in other parts of the country for violation of environment norms.
Already, the state Tourism department’s Rs 174 crore development plan of Satkosia TR where it had planned a series of tourism infrastructure in the core and buffer areas under the ‘Special Assistance to States for Capital Investment (SASCI)’ scheme has already come under scanner with NTCA seeking report on the issue. Subsequently, the Forest department asked its Tourism counterpart for necessary changes as the proposal in its current firm included projects in the buffer zone where such works can only be taken up by the former.