New Delhi, Sept. 17: The Supreme Court on Friday posted to October 4 the hearing of the fresh plea filed by Orissa opposing the environmental clearance given to the controversial Polavaram project in Andhra Pradesh. The plea will now be heard along with other cases relating to the project.
Orissa had moved the Supreme Court seeking quashing of the clearance granted to the project in Godavari River saying that it will inundate tribal villages in Malkangiri district and affect the lives of thousands of people.
Senior counsels, Mr Raju Ramachandran and Mr S.S. Jena, appearing for the Orissa government, told a division bench comprising Justice Mukundakam Sharma and Justice A.R. Dave that it was illegal to give environmental clearance to the project when a case was pending before the SC. The Orissa government had moved a petition in 2008 before the Supreme Court challenging the construction of the multi-crore Polavaram project after interim clearance was given by the ministry of environment. The counsels sought a stay on the ground that Andhra Pradesh had not conducted the public hearing which is mandatory under the Land Acquisition Act.
The Polavaram project envisages construction of a dam across the Godavari River to divert water through a 174-km link canal to Krishna River.