Tunnel projects near SGNP made U-turn on green nod?

MUMBAI: Two key infrastructure projects – the twin-tunnel link roads between Goregaon-mulund and Thane-borivli – which will pass under the Sanjay Gandhi National Park (SGNP), are expected to begin construction within the next year. Both the projects have been exempted from carrying out a precautionary environmental impact assessment (EIA) study.

Publicly available documents, however, show that this was not the case initially. Both the projects had separately applied to the Union environment ministry in 2017, seeking environment clearance (EC) for ‘Category-a’ projects. Unlike Category-b projects, these require mandatory public hearings, an EIA report and scrutiny by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s (MOEFCC) expert appraisal committee (EAC).

The projects, which are being executed by two different authorities, were subsequently delisted or rejected by MOEFCC on identical grounds: that the roads are not state or national highways, and hence do not require ECS. This move is within the ambit of the law, as road building as an activity is not covered under EIA Notification, 2006. But given the unique nature of these projects – the first ones wherein tunnels are being proposed under a protected area anywhere in the country – experts and environmentalists have been insisting on applicability of environmental clearances, in addition to clearance by the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL). considered. “The only alternative to tunnels is an above ground road, and that would be more damaging to SGNP. Any disturbance is temporary, and does not warrant an EIA in case of GMLR,” the official said.