KSPCB issues notice to NICE

KSPCB issues notice to NICE


Mohammed ShariffFirst Published : 03 Aug 2009 07:30:47 AM ISTLast Updated : 03 Aug 2009 08:17:50 AM IST
BANGALORE: The controversial acquisition of land near the Gottigere Lake, and the road building work for the Bangalore Mysore Infrastructure Corridor (BMIC) there, may be completely illegal, going by a stop-work notice issued to NICE by the Karnataka State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB). The roadwork, which has happened over protests by aggrieved farmers, is in violation of the government order dated 20/11/95, which approved the final alignment of the project.
The Project Technical Report submitted by the BMICP promoters Nandi Infrastructure Corridor Enterprise (NICE), to get government approval, gives a different alignment, and does not include the Gottigere Lake. According to the KSPCB notice dated 29/7/2009, the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) clearance granted by the board is applicable only to the original alignment mentioned in the Project Technical Report. For the present alignment that runs through the Gottigere Lake, the promoter has not obtained EIA clearance.
As per the Supreme Court order, the road was supposed to go from the south of Hommadevanahalli, which lies two km away from the Gottigere Lake. In its notice, KSPCB had instructed NICE that the road should not cross through the lake, since the original alignment for the intersection lies 2 km away from it. Despite this, NICE went ahead with the work and acquired the land.
An affidavit submitted by NICE to the government contains details of the land data, and mentions survey numbers 106, 107, 108, 111 and 112 for the intersection.
Gottigere Lake lies in survey number 71. Using this as proof, KSPCB has challenged NICE’s work near the lake.
NICE spokesperson, Manjunath, confirmed that they had received a letter from the KSPCB, and said that NICE intends to go in appeal against it.
Earlier, Express had reported that work on the BMIC stretch, along Gottigere Lake, was going on amidst protests from farmers.
The farmers grouse is that they were not served any notice by the Karnataka Industrial Area Development Board before the acquisition work started there.