CHENNAI: Even eight months after the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) granted environment clearance for the India-based Neutrino Observatory (INO) proposed in Bodi West Hills in Theni district, the Tata Institute of Fundamental Research (TIFR) is yet to file a fresh application seeking Consent to Establish from the Tamil Nadu Pollution Control Board (TNPCB)
The consortium of research institutions, led by Mumbai-based TIFR and the Institute of Mathematical Sciences (IMSc), Chennai, has been pushing really hard to realise the INO project, which is India’s first-of-its-kind basic science project aimed at segregating the neutrino particles from other cosmic rays using the rocky strata as a filter media.
There was great urgency in March this year to fast-track the project. The expert appraisal committee recommended issuance of environment clearance on March 14 and by March 26 the clearance was granted by the ministry. Surprisingly, the Consent to Establish was not sought from the TNPCB till date.
TNPCB chairman Shambhu Kallolikar told Express that the board had not received any application from the TIFR. After the National Green Tribunal (NGT) passed order on March 20, 2017 wherein it set aside the past environment clearance and directed the TIFR to submit new Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and obtain fresh clearance, the TIFR’s application filed on May 22, 2015 seeking Consent to Establish was returned on August 24, 2017 with an order to resubmit the application along with fresh environment clearance. “So far, we haven’t heard anything from them,” Kallolikar said.
Sources said the project awaited clearance from the National Board for Wildlife. Last year, when NGT bench asked why the TNPCB was sitting on consent application, the board told the tribunal that it did not have the expertise to take a call on such a science project and chose to form a six-member expert technical committee to study environment impact and give its recommendations.
The committee was asked to study various aspects of the project, including nuclear physics, atomic chemistry, hydrogeology, bio-diversity, forestry, seismic studies, energy studies and the environmental science and engineering, which are the grounds on which the project has been challenged.
However, the committee never undertook the study.
Now, it is learnt that the committee had asked for extension. Kallolikar said the committee would commence its work once the application seeking consent to establish was filed.
Great urgency
There was great urgency in March this year to fast-track the project. The expert appraisal committee recommended issuance of environment clearance on March 14 and by March 26 the clearance was granted by the ministry. Surprisingly, the Consent to Establish was not sought from TNPCB till date.