Mumbai: While the proposed Navi Mumbai international airport did get environmental clearance in November 2010, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has now asked two members of the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) to visit the area and prepare a site inspection report.
Kishore Rithe, president of Satpuda Foundation, and member of the standing committee of the NBWL is one of the two nominees. However, the other nominee - Dr Asad Rahmani is director of the Bombay Natural History Society (BNHS) which is conducting avian fauna studies for the City and Industrial Development Corporation(CIDCO), the nodal agency for the airport project. Dr Rahmani told The Hindu that he was not present for the NBWL meeting when his name was proposed. He has written to the MoEF that there would be a conflict of interest if he was asked to take up the site inspection. Mr. Rithe says the MoEF sent a letter on April 4 appointing the two-member site inspection committee. The proposal for wildlife clearance for the airport came from the Maharashtra State Wildlife Board as the site falls within ten km of the Karnala bird sanctuary. A Supreme Court ruling has made it mandatory for projects located within ten km of a protected wildlife area to get NBWL approval.
19/04/13 The Hindu
