The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), has recommended the Bhogapuram International Airport project in Vizianagaram district of Andhra Pradesh for environmental clearance (EC).
In its recommendation, the expert panel said it was considering the project for EC “only for the development of first phase” and stipulated specific conditions along with other environmental norms, including payment of compensation as per the provisions of the Land Acquisition, Rehabilitation and Resettlement Act, 2013, to the land acquired for the project and not exploiting groundwater during the construction and operation phases.
At its meeting held in New Delhi from April 12 to 14, the expert panel examined the proposal for recommendation to the ministry for issuance of EC and the minutes of the meeting recommending the project for green clearance were uploaded on the ministry's website on Friday. The proposal was taken up for deliberations on April 13 and the project authority submitted more details on the next day.
Revised response
While deliberating upon the issues regarding compensation for land, rehabilitation and resettlement, employment to locals, maintenance of green belt, promotion of agro- products in the area, welfare activities such as health and education and others that were raised during the public hearing held on January 11 this year, the EAC initially observed that they were “not responded satisfactorily”. However, the project authority submitted revised response on the next day to the panel's satisfaction.
The expert panel directed the project proponent to incorporate its response in the final Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environment Management Plan (EMP) reports. The project proponent – Bhogapuram International Airport Corporation Ltd -- explained to the EAC that the current proposal was for first-phase of the airport in which an airstrip would be developed for operation of Airbus-A380 type of aircraft, construction of new runway with all allied facilities including terminal building.
Further, it was submitted to the expert panel that an area of over 2,004 acres was earmarked for Bhogapuram Airport falling in the limits of Amatam Ravivalasa, Savaravilli, Gudepuvalasa, Kancheru, Kavulavada, and Raivada villages. The project is proposed to be developed in PPP mode under Design, Build, Finance, Operate and Transfer (DBFOT) framework with a concession period of 99 years.
Parts of four habitations of three villages -- Kancheru, Kavulavada, and Gudepuvalasa -- would be displaced with the development of the project proposed at a tentative cost of Rs.2,260.73 crore.
