Bangalore-Mysore corridor project runs into trouble again

Bangalore-Mysore corridor project runs into trouble again

The Hindu

KSPCB alleges encroachment of tanks, withdraws `consent' for the project


BANGALORE: The Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) has withdrawn consent for the 111-km Bangalore-Mysore Infrastructure Corridor Project, promoted by the Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), after it found that the road alignment has been altered in alleged violation of the conditional environmental clearance granted by the Ministry of Environment and Forests in August 2001.

Over 15 tanks and water bodies, totalling an area of 176 acres, have been allegedly encroached upon by NICE. The KSPCB issued notice to NICE last week for these alleged deviations.

Notice issued

KSPCB Chairman H.C. Sharatchandra told The Hindu that a show-cause notice was issued to NICE three months ago for not fulfilling the conditions stipulated while granting consent.

To this, the company had said the project was "under various stages of execution".

Peripheral road

The 41-km peripheral road, starting from Tumkur Road up to Hosur Road, which crosses important radial roads such as Magadi Road, Mysore Road, Kanakapura Road, and Bannerghatta Road, was being built in alleged deviation from the approved alignment at several points, according to official sources.

Court directives

Sources said there was scope for withdrawing the clearance on the basis of two directives from the Karnataka High Court.

One of them is the 1995 High Court order on a petition filed by environmentalist Zafar Futehally, which directed that no tank or water body in and around Bangalore should be given for any kind of development project by private or public enterprise.

The second was the more recent order on the petition of another environmentalist Suresh Heblikar, specifically on Gottigere tank, in which the direction was to ensure that the natural flow of water into and out of the tank should not be disturbed by the road, and wherever needed a flyover should be built.

Road around the tank

The violation here was that the road had instead gone around the tank periphery, obstructing the natural flow of water.

KSPCB issued a no-objection certificate and consent for establishment (CFE) to NICE in August 2000 while the MoEF gave conditional clearance for the project in August 2001.

Fresh affidavit

Officials preparing a fresh affidavit to be submitted to the Supreme Court shortly said THAT in 2003-04 NICE shifted the alignment drastically.

The BMIC Area Planning Authority did not share details of the alignment with the public. Many of the affected persons, whose lands were acquired, did not even know why they lost their lands until much later.

Road opening

Apart from encroaching tanks, NICE could be pulled up by the KSPCB for assuming that the CFE gave it the right to open the road for use.

This made the opening of the 9.2-km stretch connecting Mysore Road and Kanakapura Road in June this year, a violation, although it was a minor transgression, in comparison to what had been done to the tanks, sources said.