The National Green Tribunal (NGT) has cleared the decks for the inland waterway project on the stretch of the Ganga River, between Prayagraj and Haldia which is also known as the National Waterway 1.
A bench headed by NGT Chairperson Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel said there is no scope for this tribunal to consider the matter as far as this project is concerned as the Allahabad High Court has already decided the issue.
The Inland Waterways Authority told the tribunal that the High Court, in its April 28, 2016, order, allowed the project subject to receipt of all required statutory clearances. The HC had, in an order dated April 28, 2016, allowed the project, subject to receipt of all required statutory clearances.
“Any contra order by this tribunal will be improper,” the NGT bench headed by Chairperson Justice A K Goel said.
The NGT was hearing a plea filed by Bharat Jhunjhunwala and others on whether environmental impact assessment (EIA) was necessary for navigation infrastructure on the Prayagraj-Haldia stretch of the inland waterway project. The stretch is being constructed with the 50 percent investment support of the World Bank.
In its order dated May 6, the NGT bench said, “The High Court has expressly referred to the issue of environmental clearance and allowed the project proponents to proceed with the project and get an environmental impact assessment conducted after commissioning of the project.”
