The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has denied environmental clearance to Adani Cementation Ltd (ACL) for its proposed cement grinding unit with a capacity of three million metric tonnes per annum and two fly ash processing units at Shahbaj village in Alibag taluka of Raigad district. This was revealed in reply to the RTI application filed by environment activist B N Kumar.
The SEIAA, in its meeting held on April 16, 2024, rejected the proposal. The authority, however, didn't elaborate on the reasons for its refusal. Officials from Adani Cementation Ltd did not respond to queries.
ACL, the wholly-owned subsidiary of Adani Enterprises Limited (AEL) identified about 100-acres of land near Shahbaj of which it acquired about 25 acres for the cement project with an investment of Rs 1,000 Crore.
According to the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, the above facilities fall under CRZ-IA (mangroves and 50m buffer from mangroves), CRZ-III (rural) and CRZ-IVB (creek) areas. While seeking environmental clearance, ACL said “the project site was chosen due to its proximity to the Amba River, and derive the benefit of having all transportation modes such as road, rail and sea.”
“Industrial growth is necessary for the country, so is cement for housing and infrastructure development,” Kumar said adding, such activities should be balanced with environmental protection. “The public hearing held earlier was a half-baked affair since the complete Environment Impact Assessment was not placed in the public domain," Kumar said.
