Goa: EC granted to proposed rail freight terminal put on hold

The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) of the Environment department in Goa has kept on hold the environment clearance granted to rail freight terminal proposed to be built by mining firm Sociedade de Fomento, a senior official said.
The rail freight terminal, to handle the multi-cargo has been proposed at Xelvona village of South Goa but the locals have opposed this project.
"The EC granted to the project has been kept on hold as State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has also issued show cause notice to the company seeking clarification on various issues," a senior environment department official said.

The SEIAA had sought clarification from the company with regards to the no objection certificate from the state forest department, zonal certificate, conversion sanad and details about additional land proposed to be acquired for the project, he stated.
Local Assolda village panchayat and several locals had represented to the SEIAA raising their objection for this project by the mining firm.
The local village panchayat has also approached National Green Tribunal (NGT) to quash the EC granted by the SEIAA.
The appeal will be heard on February 22 with SEIAA, Sociedade de Fomento, Goa government, Goa State Pollution Control Board, Union Ministry of Environment and Forest and State forest department.

"As the opposition is from multiple stake holders on multiple counts, the Committee seeks to deliberate on this issue with utmost care and at length and as such has decided to defer the decision at this juncture and felt that the prior environmental clearance (EC) granted by the Authority to the said project proposal be kept in abeyance till all the alleged violations/objections are ascertained and clarified by the State EIA Authority," the SEAC resolved in its meeting held earlier this month.