Team Herald
PANJIM: In a major setback to the Vedanta Ltd, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Union Ministry for Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF& CC), has sent back their proposal seeking Environment Clearance (EC) for the upgradation of its existing Blast Furnace (BF) capacity, so also enhancement in the production of the pig iron plant located at Amona and Navelim in Bicholim taluka, while directing it to conduct a cumulative impact assessment study of the project.
The committee has also recommend to the MoEF&CC to issue show cause notice to the project proponents for failing to comply with the conditions laid down while granting the EC for the existing plants.
Vedanta Ltd had moved application seeking EC for upgradation of BF to enhance the production capacity of BF 1 and 2 from 2,92,000 TPA to 3,50,000 TPA, BF3 from 5,40,000 TPA to 6,50,000 TPA.
The proposed project also includes setting up of Additional Oxygen Plant, Installation of Ductile Iron Pipe Plant of 3,00,000 TPA capacity, 4 Additional Met Coke Ovens, Setting up of Fe-Si Plant of 5,000 TPA capacity at Amona and Navelim Village.
The hearing is part of Environmental Impact Assessment for the upgradation of BF.
The committee in its observation noted that the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report prepared by the project proponent needs to be revised and a detail cumulative impact assessment needs to be undertaken.
The committee took note of the fact that during the public hearing held on March 14 and 21, attended by 817 people, large number of participants registered their opposition for the project citing pollution, health, education and unemployment issues etc. It said that the project proponent has failed to submit the point wise response to the issues raised in public hearing and action plan.
EAC further noted that there are 18 sites of archeological importance in the study area, however, in this regard, no approval/clearance from the Archeological Survey of India (ASI) has been obtained till date although the unit is under operation since 1992.
It observed that the impact assessment on archaeological sites/historical monuments due to the existing and proposed expansion of the plant has not been carried out.
Also, quoting the compliance report of the Goa State Pollution Control Board (GSPCB), the committee noted that the project proponent is yet to comply with the conditions pertaining to treatment of storm water discharge, fugitive emission control, green belt development, black topping of 6.38 km road, slag utilisation, installation of CAAQMS, secondary emission control during charging/material tapping/slag tapping.
Also as per the ambient air quality carried out by the GSPCB, adjoining villages in Navelim and Amina indicated that presence of shiny particles settled on the monitoring equipment which appears to be generated from the existing BF operations.
As per the proposal, the capital cost of the proposed expansion project is about Rs 701 crore. Vedanta Limited proposed to spend about Rs 35 crore towards environmental protection measures with a recurring cost of about Rs 5 crore. The proposed expansion project will generate employment for 450 manpower including contractual basis.