The issue of winding up of this body has come up when DTEPA has given a judgement on the commercial Mega port at Vadhavan in Dahanu Taluka declaring it as illegal and impermissible. Since the Maharashtra Govt. is seriously thinking of reviving the project of construction of the mega port, (which is going to affect numerous villages and people). The disbanding of DTEPA, it is apprehended, is going to hasten the process of revival.
Attached here is a letter of protest against the same with the list of the concerned authorities. Since the matter is going to be taken up by the Supreme Court in the second week of July 2002, we would request you to post this letter to the concerned authorities by the end of first week of July 2002.
We are also holding a public meeting in this respect and would keep you informed about the date and time for it.
Regards,
Shweta Narayan
Names and addresses of the concerned authorities:
Shri. T.R. Balu
Ministry of Environment and Forests, (GoI)
Paryavaran Bhavan,
CGO Complex, Lodi Road,
New Delhi – 03.
Ph – 011 -4361896/ 4360721
Email:
secy@menf.delhi.nic.in Shri. Swarup Singh Naik
MoEF, Govt. of Maharashtra,
Mumbai.
Ph – 022 -2025241/25
The Hon’able Chief Justice,
Supreme Court,
New Delhi.
June 7, 2002
Shri. T.R. Balu
Ministry of Environment and Forests, (GoI)
Paryavaran Bhavan, CGO Complex, Lodi Road,
New Delhi – 03
Sub: Request for continuance of Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority
Dear Sir,
As the report in a section of newspapers indicate the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) of Government of India (GoI) has filed a review petition in the Supreme Court seeking winding up of Dahanu Taluka Environment Protection Authority (DTEPA) following a cabinet decision on this behalf.
In this connection we would like to bring to your notice that DTEPA was constituted when MoEF in consultation with the Maharashtra Government declared Dahanu Taluka in district Thane (Maharashtra) as an ecologically fragile area and imposed restrictions on the setting up of industries which has detrimental effect on the environment. (Ref. Notification No. S. O. 416 (E), dated 20th June, 1991.)
DTEPA’s role is to consider and implement the recommendations of National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) with respect to Dahanu Taluka and ensure the implementation of the notification issued by the Govt. of India in the MoEF, No. S. O. 114(E), dated 19th February 1991 and No. S. O. 416 (E), dated 20th June 1991.
Ever since its constitution in 1996, the DTEPA has been progressively working on the protection and the preservation of the environment and the safety of the people of Dahanu Taluka. It has given quite a few land mark judgement in this context. A few instances of the same are the judgements relating the commercial Mega port at Vadhavan in Dahanu Taluka declaring it as illegal and impermissible, insistence on the installation of FGD (Fuel Gas De-sulpherization) plant by the Bombay Suburban Electric Supply (BSES).
After the constant environmental depletion of the Konkan belt in Maharashtra because of the pollution caused by the industries, Dahanu is the only green area replete with natural resources that has remained untouched in this belt. With the disbanding of the DTEPA this last green belt would be exposed to the indiscriminate industrialization and would thus get destroyed. The proposal of Maharashtra State Govt. to revive the Mega port at Vadhavan would be the first step towards the destruction of the environment of the region and the disbanding of DTEPA would only hasten the process.
While we express our total opposition to this move by the MoEF to wind up the DTEPA, we also urge you to take cognizance of the situation and protect the environment and the local population of Dahanu Taluka.
Thanking you,
Yours sincerely,
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