Miffed with the stand of Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) that the National Waterway-1 (NW1) needs environmental clearance (EC) since it involves dredging River Ganga, the Inland Waterways Authority of India (IWAI) has moved a note before the committee of secretaries in Cabinet secretariat to present their grievances on the issue, DNA has learnt. The 1,620-km-long NW1 between Allahabad and Haldia is a pet project of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
IWAI, under the Ministry of Shipping, was unhappy with MoEF&CC's stand on the issue as it was a drastic change from the one it took in the National Green Tribunal (NGT) last October, sources said. In an affidavit submitted to the NGT, the MoEF&CC had said that dredging is not covered under the purview of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, and thus does not require EC. The IWAI is likely to make a presentation of its grievances before a committee of secretaries to seek resolution on the issue.
IWAI has maintained that it is only carrying out maintenance dredging to maintain minimum depth of three metres for navigation and not capital dredging which involves touching the river bed. It has also contended, according to sources, that jetties along rivers do not fall under the definition of ports as per the Indian Ports Act, 1908 and thus should not require EC.
The differences between the MoEF&CC and the IWAI, under the Ministry of Shipping (MoS) reared its head in March during a Public Investment Board (PIB) meeting. During the March meeting, the MoEF&CC conveyed to the MoS that dredging for NW-1 requires EC. The PIB chairman, documents show, asked the two ministries to resolve the matter before the proposal for Phase-I of Jal Marg Vikas Project (JMVP) was submitted before the Cabinet.
Later in June, the MoEF&CC clarified to IWAI that maintenance dredging for inland waterway navigation is not exempt from EC. It said that the exemption cannot be granted as the whole project has not got an EC, as mandated under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, and its amendments.
MoEF&CC based their decision on the recommendations of an expert committee, who also said that the EIA notification should be amended to include inland waterways, jetties and multi-modal terminals under the list of activities that need a prior EC.
Bone of contention
During the March meeting, the MoEF&CC conveyed to the MoS that dredging for NW-1 requires EC
Later in June, the MoEF&CC clarified to IWAI that maintenance dredging for inland waterway navigation is not exempt from EC
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
 "Narendra Modi")
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
)
)
)
)
)
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}
){kind=small}