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Defer public hearing, demands rights forum
The Human Rights Forum (HRF) demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) postpone the public hearing of the Vishakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) expansion project which is slated for October 31.
Visakhapatnam: The Human Rights Forum (HRF) demanded that the Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) postpone the public hearing of the Vishakhapatnam Port Trust (VPT) expansion project which is slated for October 31.
It may be noted that public hearing is to be conducted by the APPCB on VPT’s proposal to expand two oil berths at a cost of Rs 193.31 crore.
The HRF expressed shock over the APPCB announcement on public hearing as it has neither announced the date of the public hearing nor uploaded the per-feasibility Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report of the project on its website.
Pointing out that a 30-day prior notice for conducting a public hearing is mandatory according to the EIA regulations enabling people from all walks of life to express their views about the project proposal in an informed manner, the HRF release said that the denial of this information goes against the spirit of the Constitution and the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006.
“It has thus failed to provide sufficient information to the public at large. The APPCB appears to have given up on its conventional practice of posting the date of public hearing and uploading the relevant EIA report,” the press release stated and added that a public hearing is an important step in the EIA’s consultative process which cannot be undermined in any manner.
The HRF observed that the exercise would be far more meaningful if the notification was widely circulated as per the EIA norms. It is learnt that the HRF has brought this matter to the notice of the APPCB Chairman and the District Collector requesting them to issue a fresh notification to facilitate a fair assessment.
Reiterating that the APPCB should postpone the public hearing scheduled for October 31, the HRF demanded the issuing of a fresh notification for the same as well as posting the mandatory 30 days’ notice of the public hearing on its website and also upload the per-feasibility report in it.
