Skip to main content

Highway Authority report for Vadodara-Mumbai expressway wants clearances for Ganga Expressway, UP!

By Our Representative
A recent letter by Gujarat’s environmental organization, Paryavaran Mitra, to Dr V Rajagopal, secretary, ministry of environment and forests, Government of India, has revealed roughshod manner in which Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports for different developmental projects are prepared in India. Referring to the EIA report proposed by the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) for the Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway Project, the top environmental group has said, “The consultants for the NHAI have done a simple copy paste job", and “taken shortcut by copying and pasting the project descriptions from similar project of Ganga Expressway.”
Calling this as “the violation of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) office memorandum No J-11013/41/2006-IA.II (I) dated October 5, 2011, regarding ownership of EIA report and other documents”, the letter gives two different instances of how the copy paste job has been done in a very haphazard manner. Enclosing printouts of the pages where this copy paste has been done, the letter says: “On page 1-6 of the draft EIA report, point 1.1 Environmental Regulatory Frame Work, it is mentioned ‘Table 1.2 Clearances and Permissions required for Ganga Expressway Project’.”
Then, on “page 7-3 of the draft EIA report under Development of Agriculture, it says “Expressway will also help in import of new techniques of agriculture to most backward areas of Uttar Pradesh”. The letter adds, “As Ganga Expressway was a project of Uttar Pradesh, so mention of Ganga Expressway and Uttar Pradesh in the report shows that that the consultants have forgotten to replace it while doing copy paste”!
The letter quotes the MoEF office memorandum, No. J-11013/41/2006-IA.II (I) dated October 5, 2011, regarding ownership of EIA report and other documents by project proponent, which says, “If at any stage, it is observed or brought to the notice of this ministry that the contents of the EIA report pertaining to a project have been copied from other EIA reports, such projects shall be summarily rejected and the proponent will have to initiate the process afresh including conduct of public hearing.”
The letter also quotes the notification to say that, besides these actions, “separate action will be initiated to delist such consultants from the list of accredited consultants.” The letter, signed by Paryavaran Mitra director Mahesh Pandya, insists that “in view of the above, it is our strong demand that this entire project must be shelved for the time being and all the procedures be started afresh. Also, we request you to take strict action against the consultant to set an example for other consultants.”
Working in Gujarat as voluntary organization in the field of environment and industrial pollution issues since 1997, Paryavaran Mitra has been involved in reviewing of EIA report and participation in environmental public hearing (EPH), which is based on EIA, across the state. The NHAI has proposed to construct a new 6/8 lane Vadodara-Mumbai Expressway passing through Vadodra, Bharuch, Surat, Navsari and Valsad districts of Gujarat. The EPH of all districts of which was held in last week of February. EIA report of this project has been prepared by Intercontinental Consultants and Technocrats Pvt Ltd, New Delhi.
Paryavaran Mitra has claimed, it has “written various letters to the NHAI regarding various violations of EIA notification by this project.” Despite the fact that EPH was held, it adds, their minutes have “not yet uploaded even after two weeks of the public hearing…” Now, with the new proof, it is clear that the “consultants have copied the EIA report from some other document.” The letter has been forwarded to the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET), New Delhi, which gives accreditation to consultants to prepare EIA.

Comments

TRENDING

Wave of disappearances sparks human rights fears for activists in Delhi

By Harsh Thakor*  A philosophy student from Zakir Hussain College, Delhi University, and an activist associated with Nazariya magazine, Rudra, has been reported missing since the morning of July 19, 2025. This disappearance adds to a growing concern among human rights advocates regarding the escalating number of detentions and disappearances of activists in Delhi.

How community leaders overcome obstacles to protect forests and pastures in remote villages

By Bharat Dogra  Dheera Ram Kapaya grew up in such poverty that, unable to attend school himself, he would carry another boy’s heavy school bag for five kilometers just to get a scoop of daliya (porridge). When he was finally able to attend school, he had to leave after class five to join other adolescent workers. However, as soon as opportunities arose, he involved himself in community efforts—promoting forest protection, adult literacy, and other constructive initiatives. His hidden talent for writing emerged during this time, and he became known for the songs and street play scripts he created to promote forest conservation, discourage child marriages, and support other social reforms.

‘Act of war on agriculture’: Aruna Rodrigues slams GM crop expansion and regulatory apathy

By Rosamma Thomas*  Expressing appreciation to the Union Agriculture Minister for inviting suggestions from farmers and concerned citizens on the sharp decline in cotton crop productivity, Aruna Rodrigues—lead petitioner in the Supreme Court case ongoing since 2005 that seeks a moratorium on genetically modified (GM) crops—wrote to Union Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan on July 14, 2025, stating that conflicts of interest have infiltrated India’s regulatory system like a spreading cancer, including within the Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR).

The GMO illusion: Three decades of hype, harm, and false hope

By Sridhar Radhakrishnan  Three decades of hype, billions of dollars spent, and still no miracle crop. It's time to abandon the GMO biotech fairy tale and return to the soil, the seed, and the farmer. “Trust us,” they said. “GMOs will feed the world.” Picture a world where there is plenty of food, no hunger, fields grow without chemical pesticides, children are saved from malnutrition, and people live healthily.

Sandra Gonzalez Sanabria: An inspiring life from Colombia’s Amazonian valley

By Vidya Bhushan Rawat*  In the village of Héctor Ramírez, known as Agua Bonita, in La Montañita, Caquetá, Colombia, a vision of peace and renewal is unfolding. In the pre-2016 period, this would have been nearly impossible for outsiders to visit, as it was the epicenter of violent resistance against state oppression. However, after the Peace Accord was signed between the Colombian government and former revolutionaries—marking the end of a 70-year insurgency that claimed over 400,000 lives until 2025, including civilians, rebel fighters, and security personnel—things began to change. Visiting Agua Bonita during the Global Land Forum in Bogotá revealed a village of hope and resilience. Former FARC revolutionaries have settled here and transformed the village into a center of peace and aspiration.

Overriding India's constitutional sovereignty? Citizens urge PM to reject WHO IHR amendments

By A Representative   A group of concerned Indian citizens, including medical professionals and activists, has sent an urgent appeal to Prime Minister Narendra Modi, urging him to reject proposed amendments to the International Health Regulations (IHR) before the ratification deadline of July 19, 2025. 

Indigenous Karen activist calls for global solidarity amid continued struggles in Burma

By A Representative   At the International Festival for People’s Rights and Struggles (IFPRS), Naw Paw Pree, an Indigenous Karen activist from the Karen Human Rights Group (KHRG), shared her experiences of oppression, resilience, and hope. Organized with the support of the International Indigenous Peoples Movement for Self-Determination and Liberation (IPMSDL), the event brought together Indigenous and marginalized communities from across the globe, offering a rare safe space for shared learning, solidarity, and expression.

Activists allege abduction and torture by Delhi Police Special Cell in missing person probe

By A Representative   A press statement released today by the Campaign Against State Repression (CASR) alleges that several student and social activists have been abducted, illegally detained, and subjected to torture by the Delhi Police Special Cell. The CASR claims these actions are linked to an investigation into the disappearance of Vallika Varshri, an editorial team member of 'Nazariya' magazine.

India’s zero-emission, eco-friendly energy strategies have a long way to go, despite impressive progress

By N.S. Venkataraman*   The recent report released by OPEC’s World Oil Outlook 2025 has predicted that by the year 2050, crude oil would replace coal as India’s key energy source. Clearly, OPEC expects that India’s dependence on fossil fuels for energy will continue to remain high in one form or another.