| Kolkata-based non government organisation (NGO) Direct Initiative for Social & Health Action (Disha) feels that the plan of the Government of West Bengal (GoWB) to grant ‘conditional’ clearance to Sahara mega tourism project in Sundarbans would hurt the environment of the area.
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| Speakers at an open discussion on this issue organised by DISHA included activists, environmentalists and geologists like Debasish Chatterjee, Subroto Sinha, Joy Dasgupta, faculty of National University of Juridical Science and representatives of NGOs.
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| Disha said it would protest against the conditional approval of the department of environment, GoWB, granted on July 30, 2004.
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| The approval has been given in keeping with existing norms.“ We are trying hard to make GoWB to revoke the approval before it is sent to central government for clearance which is mandatory as it is worth more than Rs 50 crore”, said Joy Dasgupta.
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| Disha said a report by London based NGO ‘Environmental Investigation Agency (EIA)’ had called upon GoWB to reject the proposal in its present form.
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| DISHA along with other environmental activists also protested the faulty environment impact assessment (EIA) that was conducted by private organisation, Modular Consultants on behalf of Sahara, informed Dasgupta.
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| “The project is yet to receive approval from department of forest and central ground water board, in which case we would also urge them not to issue approval”, claimed one speaker at the forum.
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| Debashish Chatterjee, formerly with the Geological Survey of India claimed that the proposed facilities and amenities that have been planned would create immense ecological imbalance in the fragile and already endangered ecosystem of Sundarbans.
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| There has been a substantial pressure created from internationally recognised organisation, NGOs, local people of Sundarbans against this project, he went on to demand.
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| A memorandum of understanding (MoU) was signed between Sahara India Tourism Development Corporation Limited (SITDCL) and the department o tourism, GoWB for the said project in response to which the approval has been granted in July. |
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