Pollution Board rules out public hearing for Polavaram project

Even as the state Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik is unrelenting in his demand for conducting public hearings for the controversial Polavaram multipurpose project, the Orissa State Pollution Control Board (OSPCB) has ruled out the possibility of holding public hearings, stating that the matter is subjudice.

The pollution watchdog's stance on the Polavaram project seems to have landed Patnaik in an embarrassing state as he had reiterated his demand for conducting public hearings after the Andhra Pradesh Chief Minister K Rosaiah had recently ruled out the necessity of conducting public hearings for the project.

“It would not be legally prudent to hold public hearings for the Polavaram project as the matter is sub judice”, said Siddhant Das, member secretary, OSPCB.

It may be noted that the Orissa government had approached the Supreme Court of India on September 4 this year, challenging the Centre's decision to give final environmental clearance for the project.

Explaining the backdrop of the project, he said, “The Orissa government had moved the National Environment Appellate Authority (NEAA) after the Polavaram project was granted in principle environmental clearance in 2005. The NEAA gave its order in our favour which was subsequently challenged by the Andhra Pradesh (AP) government in the AP High Court. Thereafter, the Chhattisgarh government had sought a transfer of the petition from the AP High Court to the Supreme Court to which the Orissa government was also a party.”

Interestingly, in June 2009, the AP government had written to the Orissa government for conducting public hearing for the Polavaram project.

“They (AP govt) had written to us in June 2009 for conduct of public hearings but we had denied stating that public hearings cannot be conducted till the matter is sub-judice”, added Das.

Recently, the AP Chief Minister had categorically stated that there was no need for conducting public hearings in Orissa and Chhattisgarh, as adequate measures were taken to prevent submergence of villages in the two states.

Reacting to Rosaiah's comments, Patnaik said, “The Centre needs to take steps to ensure that public hearings are conducted for the Polavaram project. A close has to be kept in this connection. Our concern is that the tribal people, particularly in Malkangiri district, do not suffer because of the implementation of the Polavaram project. They (Andhra Pradesh government) may be taking measures to prevent submergence of villages but public hearings mus be conducted.”

The Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) on November 2, had asked the Andhra Pradesh government to specify the reasons for not holding public hearings for the project in Orissa and Chattisgarh even after one and a half years of issue of the letter of the ministry dated March 9 last year.

Here, the project proponent was requested to undertake public hearings as per the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification of 2006.