Petitioner raises strong exception on the impact of Metro construction in Pune
Pune: The main candidate in the Pune Metro Rail case before the National Green Tribunal (NGT) in Pune has raised a strong exception to the final report of a three-member expert committee on the impact of Metro construction on the bed of the Mutha river. The green court had formed the committee of the chief scientist of the National Institute of Environmental Engineering Ritesh Vijay with the chief scientist of the Board of Biodiversity of the State of Maharashtra A Benniamin and the joint director of the Board of Pollution Control of Maharashtra YB Sontakke as the other two members. The panel was mandated to carry out a study of the 1,7km stretch of a riverbed through which the railroad alignment of the metro will pass. He has opposed the applicants. In its final report submitted to the NGT, the committee concluded that the impact of the construction of proposed docks for the subway on the hydrology of the river “is negligible” and that it is likely that a total of 32 trees...