SEIAA clears six 'B' grade projects in Orissa

The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), headed by Prof. C R Das, has given environmental clearance to six ‘ B’ grade projects in the state.

The approval follows the recommendations of the State Environmental Appraisal Committee (SEAC) to this effect.

The projects receiving the nod of SEIAA are Unchabali mining project, MGM Mining project, Maa Tarini Mining Project, Bhushan Energy, Falcon Real Estate Buildings, Special Economic Zone (IT) proposed by the state owned Industrial Infrastructure Development Corporation of Orissa Ltd. (Idco).

Similarly, five other projects are awaiting the clearance of SEIAA. They are Mani Tirumala apartment, Aurunodaya mining, Sun Alloys and Tarini Minerals. These projects have already got the nod of SEAC and are now being scrutinised by SEIAA, sources said.

SEIAA has so far received 83 proposals from the project proponents in various sectors. It includes 46 mining projects, 15 industry proposals, 4 power plants, five building projects, four irrigation projects, three coal washeries, one deep water port and one petroleum refinery.

After receipt of the proposals by the authority, they were sent to SEAC, which in turn took up screening, scoping, terms of reference, review of EIA report and public hearing and the required field visits. Following the recommendation, SEIAA has given its final nod, sources added.

The environmental clearance has been given to these projects for a period of 5 years, bit it is subjected to fulfillment of other conditions like obtaining the statutory clearances and permission from the concerned authorities. SEIAA takes about 45 days for clearing a project. It may be noted, SEIAA was notified by the Union ministry of environment and forest (MoEF) in November 2008. Subsequently, the state government notified its constitution in March this year.

Sources said, the projects requiring the approval of SEIAA include thermal power plants (50 Mw to 500 Mw), coal washeries (having a capacity of less than 1 million tonne), sponge iron plants (capacity of less than 200 TPD), petro-chemical complex, pulp and paper industry, sugar industry, export processing zones, bio-tech parks, port, harbour, building and construction projects (from 20,000 to 1.5 lakh square metre built up area) and township and area development projects among others.

Similarly, mining and mineral projects having 5 to 50 hectares of mining area, hydro electric power generating units from 25 to 50 Mw, river valley projects having less than 10,000 hectares of irrigated area require the approval of SEIAA.

Besides, the sugar units having a crushing capacity of 5000 tonne per day, induction arc furnaces, isolated storage and handling of hazardous chemicals, industrial estates, parks, export processing zones, bio-tech parks, common hazardous waste treatment, storage and disposal facilities are required to apply to SEIAA for environmental clearances, sources added.

However, the stiff condition being imposed by the authority is reported to be brewing resentment among the project proponents. The conditions being imposed include study of socio-economic conditions around the project area, buffer zone in mining projects, adoption of zero waste mining concept, maintenance of roads, fugitive dust control and rain water harvesting among others.