NGT issues notice to SIPCOT on environmental clearance for Tiruvallur industrial park

Appeal was filed against granting environmental clearance for new industrial parks in Manallur, Soorapoondi, Matharpakkam, Sanaputhur, and Vanimallee villages

The Southern Bench of the National Green Tribunal has sent notices to State Environment Impact Assessment Authority and State Industries Promotion Corporation of Tamil Nadu Ltd. (SIPCOT) on proposed industrial projects in Tiruvallur.

The Bench comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and expert member Satyagopal Korlapati on May 24 heard an appeal against granting environmental clearance for new industrial parks in Manallur, Soorapoondi, Matharpakkam, Sanaputhur, and Vanimallee villages in Gummidipoondi taluk, Tiruvallur district.

The counsel appearing for the appellant said that SIPCOT’s project in Tiruvallur involves not only the industrial park at Soorapoondi and Vaniamallee villages — for which the environmental clearance was stayed by the same Bench in October 2022 and was recently cleared by MoEFCC — but also two other industrial units.

These include an industrial estate, spread across 2,025.04 acres, for manufacturing bulk drugs and another industrial estate in the same villages. The Bench noted that it is not clear if environmental clearance has been obtained for these projects.

According to the appellant’s counsel, the Soorapoondi industrial park project ought to have been considered under Item 7 (c) of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification — which specifies a public hearing — along with the other industrial estates for environmental clearance, but it was segmented and considered under Item 8 (b) with a deliberate intention to avoid the comprehensive environmental impact assessment.

The counsel submitted that a Cumulative Impact Assessment ought to have been done with a comprehensive view of the impact resulting from all the past, present and future projects on the environment and must have considered the effects on all ecosystem components due to interactions with the other projects.

The counsel emphasised the fact that instead of segmentation of the industrial estate into different projects, the project ought to have been assessed comprehensively and considered by the MoEF&CC, as the total project area exceeds the limits of the State authorities.

The Bench made it clear that if SIPCOT proceeds with the project based on clearance granted without a Cumulative Impact Assessment, the impugned environmental clearance for the industrial park at Soorapoondi will be set aside.