The State Government has rejected the Andhra Pradesh Government’s request of conducting public hearing in the areas in the State to be affected due to the Polavaram irrigation project being constructed in AP.
The Odisha Pollution Control Board (OPCB) in a letter to the AP Water Resources Principal Secretary intimated that since the National Environment Appellate Authority’s (NEAA) order of quashing Environmental Clearance (EC) to the Polavaram project was suspended by the AP High Court and the same is in force, the conduct of public hearing will violate the AP HC order.
“It is concluded from the above that since the order of the NEAA quashing EC has been suspended by the AP High Court and the said order is in force, in case the public hearing will be conducted at this stage, the interim order of the AP High Court will be violated,” the letter stated.
It further stated that, “Under the above circumstances, the Board is of the view that it can commence the process of public hearing for the project only if permission for the same is granted by the Supreme Court.”
Notably, the NEAA on December 19, 2007 had quashed environmental clearance to the project while disposing of an appeal of an NGO stating that that while granting EC, public hearing has not been conducted in the affected areas of Odisha and Chhatishgarh resulting in denial of access to information and opportunity to the affected people to express their views. The AP Government had challenged the order in the AP HC.