CHENNAI: An expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the Union environment ministry has granted Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the controversial Dr Kalaignar Pen Monument in the Bay of Bengal off Marina Beach despite severe opposition from environmental activists and the fishermen community.
The EAC had met on April 17 and concluded that the activity was permissible as per CRZ Notification, 2011, but mandated continuous monitoring of erosion and accretion by the Chennai-based National Centre for Coastal Research (NCCR), an arm of the Ministry of Earth Sciences, and also a no-objection certificate from INS Adyar which is 0.81 km away from the project site.
The environment ministry had received several representations before and after the public hearing in this regard which saw chaotic scenes with various political groups engaging in verbal clashes. The committee said the representations were discussed in detail along with letters provided by the Tamil Nadu forest, fisheries departments. Also, a petition was filed before the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal (NGT).
The CRZ clearance is subject to 15 conditions including prohibition of construction activity in the areas of turtle nesting during the nesting season from January 1 to April 30 every year. Also, an expert monitoring committee should be set-up during the implementation of the project.
M Vetri Selvan, an advocate with an environmental organisation, Poovulagin Nanbargal, told TNIE granting CRZ clearance in the first EAC meeting for such a controversial project sets a wrong precedent.
“In the meeting minutes, it was claimed by the PWD that the impacts on various aspects of ecology among the marine life, turtles were studied in detail by accredited experts and researchers...the project’s Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) doesn’t say anything on these lines. Besides, on shoreline analysis, PWD takes into account an old NCCR report and says the area is a low accretion zone. The government is taking a very casual approach and fast-tracking the project,” he alleged.
Meanwhile, Naam Tamilar Katchi leader Seeman said the clearance has been given despite the fact that the public hearing did not take place properly. “Since this is an anti-people move, the NTK will take legal recourse to oppose this monument,” he said.