Centre constitutes committee to undertake survey of constructions atop Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam

The expert committee constituted following a directive from the Andhra Pradesh High Court will also look into alleged violations of the CRZ norms, Union Minister Ashwini Kumar Choubey informs Rajya Sabha

Union Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Ashwini Kumar Choubey has said that following the directions from the Andhra Pradesh High Court, the Ministry has deputed a team for conducting a survey on the exact area of construction atop Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam and the area that has been used for sloping.

The Union Minister has informed that a committee, headed by the representatives of the Integrated Regional Office of the Ministry in Vijayawada, has been constituted with a team of experts from the Central and State institutions.

The committee will go on a site visit within one week to conduct the survey of the project under construction and submit its report on the exact area in which the construction activity has taken place and the area that has been used for sloping.

Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey was on Thursday referring to a question posed by BJP member G.V.L. Narasimha Rao in Rajya Sabha on whether the Ministry was aware that the State government had taken up additional constructions in excess land allegedly in violation of the permission granted and also in violation of the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) norms.

When asked whether the State government had sought the Ministry’s permission for undertaking construction on Rushikonda in Visakhapatnam, the Union Minister said that his Ministry had granted CRZ clearance (vide letter dated May 19, 2021) for development of a tourism project in an area of 9.88 acres with a total built-up area of 1,9967.97 sq.m at Rushikonda, based on the application submitted by Andhra Pradesh Tourism Development Corporation (APTDC) Limited.

On the powers of the Central Government under Central laws to act against environmental violations, the Union Minister said that Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, empowered the Central Government to take all such measures as it deemed necessary, or expedient for the purpose of protecting and improving the quality of environment, and preventing, controlling and abating environmental pollution.

Mr. Ashwini Kumar Choubey further said that Section 5 of the Act empowered the Central Government to issue directions and that Section 23 of the Act dealt with the power of the Central Government to delegate powers and functions under the Act as it may deemed necessary, or expedient, to any officer, State government, or other authority.