Greenpeace oppose Tata's DPCL project in Orissa

By Staff
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Google Oneindia News

Bhubaneswar, May 30 (UNI) Greenpeace, an NGO fighting for the cause of Olive Ridleys, today opposed the construction of Dhamra Port by the Tatas, without conducting a scientifically environment impact assessment(EIA) study on the sensitive ecology of the area.

Greenpeace Ocean Campaigner Ashis Fernandes told newspersons here that the Dhamra port would be located in the most ecologically sensitive areas close to the Bhitarkanika sanctuary and Gahirmatha marine sanctuary, the largest mass nesting site of the endangered Olive Ridleys in the world.

Referring to the EIA conducted by the Tatas, Mr Fernandes said the study was totally inadequate and based on poor baseline ecological data and omission of the impact of the turtles.

He said little is known of the ecology of the mudflats in the port area adding that there is evidence of turtle movement near the Dhamra port during a satellite tracking by the scientists engaged in turtle conservation.

Mr Fernandes demanded that a fresh EIA should be undertaken by any independent agency and before that no construction work should be taken up by the Tatas.

He said the Greenpeace has written a letter to Tata Steel Managing Director B Muthuraman drawing his attention to the serious flaws and shortcomings in the EIA both from scientific and logical view point.

Mr Fernandes said the greenpeace had not received any response from the Tatas on its letter adding that future course of action would be decided if no response was received within the next ten days.

Meanwhile, the Dhamra Port Company Limited (DPCL) official clarified that the turtle issue was in fact one of the grounds on which an appeal was filed before the National Environment Appellate Authority against the Environment Clearance granted to DPCL.

The sources said the authority after detailed enquiry into the turtle issue, including site visit, have come to a conclusion that the port would not harm turtle activity and upheld the clearance.

DPCL would have a Special Environment Management Plan in consultation with the best in the field to make sure that it would in no way affect the turtles in the area, officials said.

UNI

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