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CHENNAI:
The Madras High Court has rapped the Reliance Industries Limited (RIL) for implementing its natural gas project on the banks of Godavari river in Dariyalatippu village in Adavipulam in Yanam, without necessary approval from the Puducherry government and other statutory authorities.
``The attitude of the RIL disturbs us. We expect the RIL to have greater social responsibility. If an environmental disaster strikes, it would strike the mighty and the weak equally. We do not understand why RIL should have commenced the production and then obtained the approval,'' a division bench comprising justices Prabha Sridevan and GM Akbar Ai observed recently.
The bench was disposing of a public interest writ petition from MS Sai Kumar of Yanam, seeking to restrain the authorities concerned from establishing block valve station and pipeline industry in the riverbed area of Godavari in Yanam without due process of law as laid down under the Madras River Conservancy Act.
The petitioner apprehended that there would be environmental damage if the project of RIL was established. Majority of the local population comprising fishermen was dependant upon the river. If the project was not halted, then by virtue of the destruction of coconut trees and mangrove forests, the possibility of flooding would increase. The mangrove forests had rare species of vegetation and they must be protected from destruction, petitioner said.
Disposing of the petition, the bench observed that the Puducherry government must ask for and obtain an environmental impact report from the expert bodies. RIL must come forward with an environmental management plan which must be cleared by the experts.
To prevent possible future damage, the government must be satisfied that the damage that might be caused was not irreversible and the RIL should be prepared and must sufficiently secure the cost of reversing any damage.
The Puducherry government must also have in place necessary infrastructure to maintain periodical surveys and enforce the stipulations subject to which the permit might be granted.
The government should also, before granting approval, call upon RIL to publish its proposal so that the public, particularly those who were likely to be affected, were made aware of the proposed action.
