Pollution board stalls NICE but clears BDA

Pollution board stalls NICE but clears BDA
TIMES NEWS NETWORK

Bangalore: Different treatment for different projects — that’s how it seems if you look at two infrastructure projects in Bangalore. While the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) — promoted by Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprises (NICE) — has got a raw deal, the Bangalore Development Authority’s mega-project — construction of the sixlane Outer Ring Road (ORR) — has been sailing along smoothly, despite violating environmental norms.
On April 4, Manjunath Nayaker served notice on the BDA and questioned how the project could take off and bypass the law.
The issue in question is that nearly 5 km of the ORR connecting Mysore Road and Magadi Road have not been cleared by the ministry for road activity.
“No prior permission was obtained by the BDA. Besides, it has also failed to follow the Supreme Court’s and Karnataka High Court’s directions while executing the ORR project. The stretch between Mysore Road and Magadi Road contains greenery, trees and flora,’’ Manjunath said.
He has also served notice on Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) for allowing the project to take off without its prior approval.
Manjunath’s main contention is that when KSPCB withdrew clearance certificates for the multi-crore BMIC project for alleged violation of environment norms, why wasn’t the similar yardstick applied for the ORR project promoted by the BDA?
WHAT THEY SAID
Neither have I seen nor received any such notice from any party. I do not know anything about the issue.
— H C Sharatchandra, KSPCB chairman
We have not commenced work at all. We are still in the process of land acquisition. Once everything is finalised, we’ll go for permission from the competent authority. We are ready to reply to any query from the KSPCB.
— M K Shankaralinge Gowda, BDA commissioner