TEAM HERALD
PANJIM: The objections and suggestions on the environment impact assessment (EIA) report of the proposed Greenfield International Airport at Mopa, which were put forward by the public, have been submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) to expedite the grant of environmental clearance (EC) for the ambitious Rs 3,000-crore project.
The public hearing on the EIA report drafted by Engineers India Pvt Ltd held on February 1 was chaired by North Goa Collector Neela Mohanan and was attended by more than 1,500 citizens, including politicians and pro and anti-Mopa crusaders.
A total of 1,150 representations were received by the State government on the proposed airport, of which more than 600 representations opposed the project.
“The detailed proceedings of the public hearing on the EIA have been complied and submitted to the MoEF,” Goa State Pollution Control Board chairman Jose Manuel Noronha said.
“The objections and suggestions raised by the concerned people have also been forwarded to the Ministry,” he said. The GSPCB Chairman said that all the proceedings are completed and now it is up to the Ministry to grant the EC to the project.
The EIA study conducted by Engineers India Limited, had given its green signal to the project, stating that there won’t be any major impact on air, water, land resource or environment with the airport coming up at Mopa in
Pernem taluka.
However, the opponents of the project – the Mopa Vimantal Pidit Xetkari Samiti and Goans for Dabolim Only – objected to the EIA report claiming that the study was misleading and had not highlighted several crucial facts related to environment and wildlife. Both have questioned the need to have two airports in a small state like Goa.
The BJP government which is in a hurry to complete the project has already acquired 81,29,455 sq mtrs for development of the airport and the first phase of the project is expected to be commissioned by 2018.
