UP says all okay on Noida statue front

Cabinet Secretary Shashank Shekhar Singh said late Saturday evening that construction work in the area is being carried out far from the bird sanctuary’s boundary and that it will not have any adverse impact on birds in the sanctuary.

He said the state government has got a certificate from the Chief Forest Conservator and the Chief Forest Conservator (Wildlife) in this regard.

Singh admitted that trees have been felled for the project — the expert team from the Environment ministry had said as many as 6,000 trees had been felled to make way for the project — but claimed they were cut without violating the Tree Conservation Act.

Singh said there was no need for prior permission of the State Environment Impacts Assessment Authority in this matter and cited provisions under the Environment (Protection) Act,1986 and the Environment (Protection) Rules,1986. “We need prior permission from the State Environment Impacts Assessment in case a project covers an area of more than 50 hectares,or a built-up area equal to or more than 1,50,000 square metres,” he said.

But,he added,“the built-up area of this project is 9,452 square metres,and the covered area is 33.43 hectares. Thus,there is no need for prior permission.”