Conduct public hearing for Maharashtra SEZ project, Indiabulls told

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), attached to the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), has rejected Indiabulls Industrial Infrastructure’s plea for exemption of public hearing for its proposed Special Economic Zone (SEZ) in north Maharashtra.

“The committee carefully looked into the contention of the proponent (read Indiabulls) regarding the issue of public hearing. It came to the conculsion that for a multipurpose SEZ where pharmaceuticals and biotech, textiles, aviation, auto and engineering industries are likely to be established and at this stage, wastes, discharge and emissions are not even confirmed and detailed environmental issues have not been examined and assessed, the public hearing/consultation should be conducted,” the EAC said in its meeting held in December, the minutes of which were uploaded on MoEF’s website last week

Indiabulls Industrial Infrastructure had pleaded that as per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, a public hearing was exempted since the Indiabulls’ project was “a SEZ project” for which the Maharashtra Industrial Development Corporation (MIDC) had allotted the notified land for industrial use.

However, EAC said no exemption of public hearing is given to SEZs. Only the projects proposed within the approved SEZ/industrial estate or park are exempted.

“We comply with all laws as well as directives of the government and would not want to comment on each of our government approval processes. We have applied to the MoEF to waive off the condition of public hearing and will wait for its decision,” an Indiabulls spokesperson told Business Standard.

EAC has also asked Indiabulls Industrial Infrastructure to submit an additional Terms of Reference (ToR) for the SEZ project following the expiry of the four year validity of the previous ToR. Indiabulls Industrial Infrastructure had earlier planned SEZ on 1,008.42 hectares, but it has now reduced the area to 575.07 hectares, excluding the power plant and textile component from the multipurpose SEZ. Of the 575.07 hectares, the processing area would be 512.068 hectares while 63.002 hectares would be a non processing area. The company has made a fresh plea for grant of additional ToR for the project.

EAC’s ruling comes at a time when the Maharashtra government in its new industrial policy has proposed conversion of SEZs into integrated industrial areas. Indiabulls has yet to take a call in this regard.