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Private
Co gets EC to blast Hills in Navi Mumbai
MUMBAI: Coinciding with the World Health Day,
today, a leading environmentalist has raised a fresh concerns with Maharashtra
Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis over quarrying of Parsik Hills in Navi Mumbai
as a quarry operator has obtained environment clearance for blasting at
Borivali village in MIDC area.
The
Thane District level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) has given
clearance to a private company to operate the quarry with a host of conditions
such as prevention of dust pollution and development of green belt.
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| Nandakumar Pawar - SEAP |
The
private operator is all set to start quarrying in an area where a small hull
has nearly disappeared due to continuous blasting, Mr Nandakumar Pawar,
director of SEAP said in his e-mail to Mr Fadnavis.
He
said his NGO is not against development of infrastructure. But it should not
lead to destruction of nature.
Meanwhile,
as part of its social communication campaign, Public Relations Council of India
(PRCI) – a communication professionals body - has launched a drive called
#HillGayaKalGaya (No Hills, No Tomorrow) to mobilize support for protecting the
environment. “This is in continuation of our previous campaign
#IamParsikHill-IamDying,” said PRCI governing council chairman B N Kumar.
“Today
is the world health day and the theme is Universal Health,” Pawar pointed out
and remarked: “We are sure that you and
your Cabinet colleagues have observed the irreparable damage done to Parsik
Hills in Navi Mumbai. A cursory look on the left side, as you drive along the
Sion-Panvel Highway between Turbhe and Belapur, shows the extent of plundering
of the hills.”
“The
reckless blasting of the hills is not only endangering the ecological balance,
but is making people fall sick as the dust and particles from the quarries is
100 times the permissible levels,” he said.
Pawar
said in his letter that following a PIL, the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has
ruled on November 14, 2017 that no quarrying to take place on Parsik Hills
unless the Environment Clearance is obtained. Subsequently, the District Level
Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA), Thane, met on February 02,
2018 and discussed in detail the situation of 74 quarry sites at Kukshet, Shivawane, Pawane, Bonsari, Turbhe
and Borivali – all along the Parsik Hill range, Navi Mumbai.
During
the meeting the Deputy Conservator of Forests has raised objection to violation
of quarrying limits in CIDCO area where 264.1 hectares has been mined against
the permissible area of 138.07 hectares.The Authority, therefore. ordered a
detailed survey of these areas jointly by the Forest department and CIDCO.
It
is in this context, Pawar said, that the permission granted to one operator –
whjo incidentally is not a project affected person – has to viewed. This
company has obtained renewal of quarry license from MIDC up to 2027 for two
hectares.
The
DEIAA permission came with conditions
that included: Installation of open air quality monitor, transportation by
covered trucks, occupational health surveillance programme and conducting of
lung functional tests of workers.
Pawar
said such conditions argued that such conditions normally remain only on paper.
And experience, as pointed out by the deputy conservator of forests, shows that there have been large scale violations on
the Parsik Hill range under the garb of quarrying.
“Sir,
in our schools we have been taught that it takes millions of years for the
formation of hills. And we are destroying them in a matter of less than 20
years,” he said and pointed out that “We owe it to our next generation. We have
to give them clean air, water and environment.
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