Sethu order not for a year,SC to wait for panel report

The court took the decision on the basis of a detailed letter written by R K Pachauri,the chairman of the expert committee,on February 9,2010 that a complete EIA of the region would take an entire annual cycle of 365 days.

“Given the variations in ocean currents,wind patterns and related sedimentation as well as other phenomena related to the weather,it would be incomplete to arrive at an Environmental Impact Analysis on the basis of information which is less than the annual cycle,i.e. 365 days,” Pachauri’s letter,which was read out to the court by Additional Solicitor General Haren Raval,said.

It further said issues of impact on marine life and on species had to be studied through the year. “Consequently,if we wish to carry out a full,comprehensive and valid EIA,cutting short the period of observation below 365 days would seriously restrict the scientific validity of the whole exercise,” the letter,which was reproduced in the court’s order on Wednesday,said.

The order comes almost 20 months after the Supreme Court reserved the case for final orders on July 30,2008 and sought the Centre to appoint the expert panel under TERI Director-General Pachauri to examine the feasibility of an alternative route.

The court on Wednesday,however,refused to “judicially invalidate” the original canal project,saying it would be too premature to do so before the panel filed its final report in February 2011. It also refused a request by Janata Party chief Subramanium Swamy to declare the Ram Setu as a national monument.