Tadadi port yet to get green approval: Harsh Vardhan

The Karnataka government’s proposal to set up a multipurpose all-weather seaport at Tadadi is pending with the Ministry of Forests and Environment for want of forest clearances, Union Minister for Environment and Forest and Climate Change Harsh Vardhan informed Rajya Sabha on Tuesday.

Replying to a written question by K C Ramamurthy (Congress), the minister said the Karnataka State Industrial and Infrastructure Development Corporation (KSIIDC) had submitted a proposal seeking the environment and Coastal Regulatory Zone (CRZ) clearance in December 2015.

The Expert Appraisal Committee in the Ministry of Forest had recommended the proposal for grant of environmental and CRZ clearance subject to Stage I forest clearances. However, the ministry has not received Stage I forest clearance so far under Forest Conservation Act, 1980 for the project, he said. The forest clearance will be given by an expert committee and based the approval, the ministry will take a call on giving approval to the project, an official in the ministry said.