Supreme Court for committee to review Nirma project

The Supreme Court on Friday directed the formation of a review committee on the cement plant project of detergent major Nirma in Gujarat’s Bhavnagar district.

The court asked for submission of a report within six weeks. In this period, the stay on construction at the project will remain.

New Delhi-based Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) has welcomed the latest Supreme Court decision in the Nirma company case after the apex judiciary directed that a new five-member independent committee be formed to review the project.

Sunita Narain, director general, CSE, said: ?The court?s verdict upholds the decision of the MoEF (Environment Ministry). This is a clear victory for the people and for environment. It will help secure the rights of the water body.?

The Court has also said that it will hear the Nirma case purely on environmental grounds till it is satisfied.

It has instructed that the ministry should ensure that its environmental clearance process ? which incorporates public hearings and Environmental Impact Assessment ? actually takes place in accordance with the law.

CSE had brought the case to the attention of the union environment ministry.

Taking note of CSE?s objections, the ministry had sent an expert committee to review the project. The committee?s report supported CSE?s contentions and found violation of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 by the project.

Following this, the MoEF had issued a show cause notice to the cement factory being built in Padhiarka village, Bhavnagar district, Gujarat, for ?permanent suspension of work and revocation of the environment clearance?

The 1.91-million-tonne-per-annum cement factory, with its coke oven and captive power plants, is being built by the detergent major Nirma over the Samadhiyala reservoir, a large water body.

Local farmers and villagers have been resolutely opposing this project.

Nirma had subsequently approached the Gujarat High Court, requesting a stay on the MoEF notice ? but the High Court had refused. The company has now withdrawn its petition in the High Court.