HYDERABAD: Private agencies are often accused of cutting corners when it comes to taking environment-protection measures while seeking environmental clearance for various projects, however, what if a government agency resorts to the same?
Express has found that the Telangana State Mineral Development Corporation (TSMDC), in its Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report for a proposed sand mine on Godavari river in Eturnagaram of Mulugu district, has claimed no sanctuary or ecologically sensitive area exists within 10 km of the site.
What makes this even more surprising is, in the ‘Form-2’ application filled by TSMDC for seeking environmental clearance, the agency mentions that the mining site is located just 1 km away from the wildlife corridor of Eturnagaram Wildlife Sanctuary and 2.2 km away from its Eco Sensitive Zone.
A section of the EIA report prepared to seek environmental clearance states, “No national park, sanctuary, ecologically sensitive area and notified critically polluted area are within 10-km of the project site.” If a wildlife sanctuary or an eco-sensitive zone exists within 10 km of a proposed mining project, the TSMDC will have to seek clearance from the National Board for Wildlife and the State forest department.
One of the terms of reference that the TSMDC has to comply with is that it should clearly indicate the location of any existing national parks, sanctuaries or wildlife corridors within 10 km of the mine on Godavari river.The TSMDC, in its compliance report, states, “There are no national parks, sanctuaries, etc. in the core area.”