Now,MoEF clashes with water ministry

After its earlier run-ins with the Surface Transport and Science and Technology ministries,the Ministry of Environment and Forests...

After its earlier run-ins with the Surface Transport and Science and Technology ministries,the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF),headed by Jairam Ramesh,has come under fresh criticism from the Ministry of Water Resources,headed by Pawan Kumar Bansal. Last week,the ministry wrote to the Prime Ministers Office objecting to the MoEFs decision of April 28 to set up another high-level advisory committee on the Sardar Sarovar project to look into the environmental issues.

Gujarat Chief Minister Narendra Modi had raised similar objections in a letter to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh earlier this month. Gujarat leaders,including Ahmed Patel,Rajya Sabha member and political secretary to Congress president Sonia Gandhi,have been pushing hard for completion of the Sardar Sarovar project.

The Ministry of Water Resources,in its letter to the PMO,has contended that the MoEFs move to set up a new independent committee goes against the October 2000 majority judgment of the Supreme Court which authorised only the Environmental Sub-Group of the Narmada Control Authority (NCA) to give environmental clearances. It further maintained that the earlier environmental clearance order of 1987 never envisaged any independent monitoring by the MoEF through any committee or otherwise.

Story continues below this ad

Under the order,the NCA had set up two sub groups,the environmental sub group,headed by Secretary (Environment and Forests),and the Resettlement and Rehabilitation sub group,headed by Secretary (Social Justice and Empowerment). Importantly,the two sub groups had representatives from the Ministry of Water Resources also,unlike the present high-level committee set up by the MoEF.

Arguing that there was no need to set up such a committee as it would only delay the project further,the ministry has pointed out that a similar committee,headed by Dr Devender Pandey,Director,Forest Survey of India,had been set up by the MoEF two years ago. At that time,though,it had not raised objections to the committee.