The Union Minister for Environment and Forests, Mr Jairam Ramesh, has cleared terms of reference for an environment impact study for the proposed Vizhinjam international seaport and container transhipment terminal.
“The clock has started ticking today,” the Union Minister told newspersons here on Monday, saying that the study would cover the three seasons of this monsoon, post-monsoon and the next (2012) monsoon.
FINAL CLEARANCE
The study is expected to be completed within one year from now, which would go back to the Ministry for its consideration before the multi-thousand-crore project is finally cleared.
The Union Minister also emphasised that the study would be conducted with respect to the site the State Government has selected for building the seaport and container transhipment terminal.
Monday's decision was the first affirmative from the Ministry with respect to the long-pending project after proposals made earlier failed to find favour with the Expert Appraisal Committee under the Ministry.
The Rs 5,000-crore-plus project has already undergone three rounds of tendering, and had reached the request-for-proposal stage when uncertainty on the study and related clearances crept in.
Mr Ramesh had a two-hour meeting with the Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr Oommen Chandy, and his Cabinet colleagues following an inspection of the project site 16 km away from here.
Mr Ramesh clarified that at no time since he had taken over at the Ministry two years ago had any representative approached him with a proposal on Vizhinjam.
The Union Minister also announced that Kerala would set up a State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority and a separate State Expert Appraisal Committee to clear quickly projects in the State itself.
ENABLING STATES
This would mean that the State Government need not rush its officials to the Centre every time a project clearance is needed, like it has been doing all this time, leading to time and cost overruns.
According to the Union Minister, as much as 60 per cent of the cases being referred to the Centre could have been settled in the State if only Kerala had chosen to put in place the two committees as put forth in the Environmental Impact Assessment notification in 2006.
Regrettably, it was the only State that failed to fulfil those until now, Mr Ramesh said.