The Ministry of Environment and Forests is yet to even consider the proposal for framing Terms of Reference (ToR) for the second unit of the copper smelter plant of Vedanta Limited at the SIPCOT Industrial Complex in Therkku Veerapandiapuram village in Thoothukudi district. (The ToR is prescribed for projects seeking Environment Clearance under the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, and guides the project proponents on preparation of EIA / EMP Report.)
At its 29th meeting during March 12 and 14, the Expert Appraisal Committee (Industry-1) recommended the constitution of a sub-committee to assess the current status of the Environmental Clearance (EC) granted in 2009 and consider the proposal for ToRs afterwards.
The committee noted that the project proponent had been unable to implement the facilities proposed in the earlier EC within the stipulated time period and had therefore made an application for fresh ToR. Further, the committee had received a number of representations expressing environmental concerns regarding the project.
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