GUWAHATI, Nov 16: Khun Hynniewtrep National Awakening Movement (KHNAM) has objected to the public hearing on Star Cement’s proposed limestone and shale mining project, scheduled at the East Jaintia Hills DC’s office in Khliehriat on November 21.
In a letter to the chief secretary on Monday, KHNAM state youth wing vice president Thomas Passah said the public hearing was in violation of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, which clearly states that “public hearings are to be conducted at the site of the new industry or nearby places.”
The project, it may be mentioned, has been proposed at Brichyrnot village in East Jaintia Hills across 42.015 hectares.
“The DC, East Jaintia Hills has notified that only 100 people will be allowed to attend the public hearing, which is against the spirit of the EIA Act and subsequent rules notified by the central government from time to time,” Passah said.
“This is an attempt to silence the voice of thousands of people who would be hampered by the proposed project,” he said.
The KHNAM leader further stated that if environmental clearance was granted to Star Cement, it would not be considered legally valid certification on the ground that the procedure of the hearing would be void ab initio, which means “to be treated as invalid from the outset”.
The regional party strongly objected to the proposed project, saying it might cause harm to the environment given that the proposed location is just 1.46 km from a wildlife sanctuary, 0.25 km from the Eco Sensitive Zone and 1.38 km from the River Lukha.
Passah stated that the residents of the area, where the project has been proposed, have objected to the project, which was obvious with two earlier attempts to conduct the hearing (on October 19, 2019 and January 30, 2020) opposed and subsequently stalled.
He also stated that various stakeholders have even written to the East Jaintia Hills DC requesting cancellation of the public hearing scheduled on November 21, 2020.
The KHNAM leader further requested the chief secretary not to hold the public hearing, claiming it was against the interests of the people at large.