NHAI has clearance for sand mining at Perittivakkam lake, confirms SEIAA

The State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority has informed the southern bench of the National Green Tribunal that the National Highways Authority of India had obtained prior environmental clearance for sand mining from Perittivakkam lake in Tiruvallur district as part of the six-lane highway construction from Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh to Thatchur in Tamil Nadu under the Bharatmala Pariyojana project. The applicant contended that the sand extraction from Perittivakkam lake was carried out without prior environmental clearance, violating the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment notification. The applicant also referenced the Supreme Court’s judgment in Noble M. Paikada vs. Union of India, which struck down certain exemptions under the EIA notification, specifically the clause allowing exemption for certain linear projects like highways from having to obtain clearance for sourcing earth. Further, the District Collector of Tiruvallur had authorised the extraction of 20,000 cubic meters of ordinary earth from Perittivakkam lake for the highway construction, based on the technical approval from the Water Resources Department.