Indore (Madhya Pradesh): Indore is yet to get environmental clearance for Smart City Projects, while Bhopal and Satna have secured environmental clearance (EC) for the same. Indore is amongst five cities of the state, including Gwalior, Jabalpur, Sagar and Ujjain, which are yet to receive the clearance. The Madhya Pradesh State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) stated this in a reply to an RTI.
Big cities like Indore and Gwalior are among the five cities that have not yet received the nod from the environmental agency to implement the projects, said SEIAA in its reply. There are seven cities where Smart City projects are underway.
Ajay Dubey, environmentalist, who had filed an RTI, said, “The MPSEIAA in its reply shared information that only two cities - Bhopal and Satna—have been given EC clearance for smart city project implementation.” Environmentalists have raised the issue with higher authority regarding these lapses. However, the Smart City authorities have claimed that the projects of Bhopal and Satna are of redevelopment nature so environmental clearance has been granted to them.
While the projects in other cities, which have not got the nod so far, are retrofit in nature, they added. EC clearance depends on the nature of development work. They further mentioned that EC clearance is mandatory in housing cases, wherever it is part of the Smart city project. Dr SC Pandey, green activist, said, “MP SEIAA has given EC for smart city project implementation. There are environmental factors associated with development of Smart city in Bhopal so it was mandatory to get the clearance before carrying out the projects.”
