Environment ministry not stalling highway work: Ramesh -Governance Now

Environment ministry not stalling highway work: Ramesh

Env min Jairam Ramesh refutes charges of his ministry blocking national highway projects

PTI | April 2, 2010

Environment minister Jairam Ramesh has said that his ministry is not acting as a blockade on the construction of national highways in the country.

"Ministry of environment and forests has cleared 98 percent national highway projects, only those cases where the project passes through tiger corridor or dense forest area we have not approved it," Ramesh told reporters after the seventh convocation of the Indian Institute of Forest Management (IIFM) here on Friday.

He denied the charge that he is acting as a blockade on the national highway projects.

However, he said that there are instances when in number of cases the concerned ministry has bypassed forest and environment clearance.

When asked to specify such projects which are passing through tiger corridor or forest areas, he said that one is in Madhya Pradesh and the other is in Assam.

On the issue of giving environmental clearance to Maheshwar Hydro Power Project in Khargone district of Madhya Pradesh, he said, as far as resettlement and rehabilitation of affected villages is concerned, according to company's report only one (Jalud) out of the total 22 villages are rehabilitated so far.

"We have asked the state government to comment on the issue and after that only we will take a view on it," Ramesh said.

When asked about the disposal of toxic waste from the Union Carbide factory in Bhopal, he said, that the Pollution Control Board is considering the issue like disposing it off in a cement plant or at Pithampur.

A decision on the matter will be taken soon, Ramesh said.

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