Transparency in environmental clearance
Points 1. Environmental clearance from the Government of India Ministry of Environment and Forests was received in August 2001 only for the Expressway portion of the Project. The ministry is silent on the Townships, which require more than 60% of the 21,000 acres acquired for the project. Without townships clearance, the project is not financially viable. 2. The Karnataka Govt has signed an agreement committing 150 million liters per day of Cauvery water to the new townships without consulting the Cauvery River Tribunal, which is an illegal act. This can cause political problems with Tamil Nadu. Questions Why is the ministry washing its hands of some aspects of the project as if they were not connected to the project at all? Are we going to see another public infrastructure project mired in controversies and losses to everyone, like Enron and Cogentrix? Until there is more transparency, how are we to know that the clearances given were not pre-meditated? Please do not forget to include your full name, address and telephone numbers in your letters.