BS reported that National Green Tribunal has fixed February 22 for hearing the appeal challenging environmental clearance granted to the POSCO’s mega steel project in Orissa.

All the parties related to the case presented their arguments at the NGT. The parties involved in the case are petitioner Mr Prafulla Samantray union ministry of environment and forest, Orissa State Pollution Control Board and POSCO India.

Mr Samantray who had filed a petition in the tribunal, challenging the MoEF decision to grant environmental clearances to the steel and port projects of POSCO India said that “After listening to all the parties the NGT has fixed February 22 as the next date of hearing.”

He argued that the environment impact assessment was faulty, public consultation process was not properly done and the Environment Ministry had overlooked the recommendations of the Meena Gupta committee which the ministry itself had constituted to look into the mega project.

MoEF in January, 2012 had stated that the environmental clearance to the proposed steel project has been accorded abiding by the laws.

It may be noted that the tribunal, in August last year, had served notices to the MoEF, Orissa State Pollution Control Board and POSCO India asking about the circumstances under which the environmental clearance was given to the POSCO’s INR 54,000 crore project in the state.

(Sourced from BS)