NICE damages over 20 tanks, alleges NGO

Bangalore, Nov 17 (UNI) Accusing Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE), developers of the controversial Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor, of damaging over 20 tanks in violation of the original framework agreement signed with the Karnataka Government, an NGO today demanded the Union Environment and Forests Minister to take appropriate action against the company.

Addressing a press conference here, Environment Support Group Coordinator Leo F Saldanha alleged that the NICE, which had acquired over 2,000 acres of land from the State Government, was only pursuing real-estate interests, rather than taking up the expressway work.

He alleged that by colluding with the State officials, the NICE had violated all guidelines and norms in protecting the waterbodies coming under the project and had damaged over 20 tanks while developing the link and peripheral roads connecting the main expressway. It had also drastically changed the original alignment of the BMIC without getting any approval from the relevant authorities, including from Karnataka High Court. The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board had withdrawn its Consent for Establishment for defying the original framework agreement and urged the Central Pollution Control Board to ratify its action.

Stating that the illegal changes in the original alignment had affected hundreds of households and small and marginal farmers, who did not have the resources to protect their property and ensure their livelihood, he asserted that his group would fight for the cause of environment and the rights of the hapless farmers.

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