[sustran] Metro has no green permit to run in Delhi: Reply to RTI plea

[Vinay Baindur]

http://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/newdelhi/metro-has-no-green-permit-to-run-in-delhi-reply-to-rti-plea/article1-1263818.aspx


Metro has no green permit to run in Delhi: Reply to RTI pleaDarpan Singh
<http://www.hindustantimes.com/Search/search.aspx?q=Darpan%20Singh&op=auth>,
Hindustan Times  New Delhi, September 14, 2014
First Published: 02:18 IST(14/9/2014) | Last Updated: 02:23 IST(14/9/2014)

Even though Delhi Metro has helped bring down vehicular pollution in the
Capital, the transport system has itself not taken any nod from pollution
control bodies for building stations, tracks and depots. The Delhi Metro
Rail Corporation (DMRC) has, in reply to an RTI plea, admitted this and
said it is exempt from taking 'consent to establish' from pollution-control
authorities.

Pollution permits are renewed after periodic inspections and ensure that
anti-pollution norms are adhered to in the long-term.

The DMRC has cited a 2007 letter of the ministry of urban development
(MoUD) to justify not having taken permits from pollution watchdogs. It
exempts the DMRC from 'having to obtain prior building approval from local
bodies'.

But environmentalists claim the exemption is being misinterpreted.

Vikrant Tongad, who filed the RTI plea, said, "Pollution permits are no
'prior building approval from local bodies'. You cannot set up a restaurant
without 'consent to operate' from Delhi Pollution Control Committee. Also,
DMRC has admitted it has never taken completion certificates for its
projects. All this is resulting in fewer stations being built with rain
water harvesting systems and illegal use of bore wells."

HT recently reported that DMRC was using illegal bore wells for building
its stations. The National Green Tribunal has also pulled up the DMRC for
having failed to build rain water harvesting infrastructure at many of its
stations.

So who monitors and controls the pollution caused during construction and
operation?

"Our own environment department closely monitors pollution-related issues
during construction. Metro operation is nonpolluting," the DMRC informed HT
in a subsequent e-mail.

Delhi Metro has an operational network of 192.5 kilometres and 256
kilometres are likely to be added in the next seven years.

Anumita Roychowdhury, executive director at Centre for Science and
Environment, points to a larger issue. "Currently there is no system of
carrying out environment impact assessment of road and transit
infrastructure projects inside cities. We need to have clear guidelines.
Often construction activities are blamed for pollution. But there are no
clear legal requirements to minimise impact. This has remained a grey area
and needs policy clarity."

Delhi government's environment secretary Sanjiv Kumar said, "Since Delhi
Metro helps in controlling pollution by reducing usage of private vehicles,
they're exempt from the process of obtaining certain approvals for building
and operating stations, tracks and depots. DMRC should also extend full
cooperation in ensuring there is minimum pollution during construction."
said Kumar, who also heads Delhi Pollution Control Committee.

"But we're monitoring their all other non-passenger, commercial activities,
as they are not exempt," he added