Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's Amravati Project hits hurdle - The Economic Times

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Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's Amravati Project

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By Anubhuti Vishnoi, ET Bureau | 31 Dec, 2015, 04.00AM IST

NEW DELHI: The Chandrababu Naidu government's dream plans for a greenfield capital
city at Amravati have hit a green hurdle, this time with the Union environment ministry.
While a petition has already been filed before the National Green Tribunal questioning the
environmental clearance to the project by state environment authorities, the Union
environment ministry has now raised questions and sought elaborate details about the
massive forest land diversion sought for the project.
The Andhra Pradesh government has sought permission for diversion of over 19,000
hectares of forest land to build its capital city in Amravati. The Forest Advisory Committee
the apex body in the environment ministry that approves or rejects proposals for
diversion of forest land has now raised queries about the project seeking complete

The Andhra Pradesh government has sought permission for

diversion of over 19,000 hectares of forest land to build its
capital city.

details about it.

"The project came to us and we have sent it back as of now seeking all details exactly
how much forest land will be used at what locations and for building what structures. In our

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view the project proposal sent by the state government is incomplete and we will need
more information before considering it as this involves a very large forest area," highly placed officials from the environment ministry
confirmed to ET.
Andhra Pradesh government officials also confirmed that several queries have been raised by the Centre. "The state government will
comply with whatever the Centre has said. The details sought by the environment ministry are now being collected and we will then send
the proposal with all these details to the ministry," senior AP government officials told ET. The foundation stone for the state capital was
recently laid by the PM. The TDP government is an ally and partner in the ruling NDA.
To be spread across 217 sq km, the proposed capital city will spill into 25 villages in the mandals of Thulluru, Tadepally and Mangalagiri
of Guntur district. While the proposal before the environment ministry for forest clearance for Amravati is for about 19,000 hectares of
forest land, associated infrastructure could take the total forest area affected to as high as 50,000 hectares, the AP government sources

31/Dec/2015 9:00 AM

Andhra Pradesh CM Chandrababu Naidu's Amravati Project hits hurdle - The Economic Times

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http://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/andhra-pradesh-cm-chandrababu-...

confirmed. The state has been seeking denotification of 44,000 hectares of forest land.
Social activist and ex-bureaucrat EAS Sharma has filed a petition in the NGT challenging the environmental clearance to the capital city
project by the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), arguing the fertile land from an ecologically sensitive area is
being sought for the project. The SEIAA had accorded environment clearance in October. In October itself, the NGT had stayed
construction of the capital city .
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31/Dec/2015 9:00 AM