CHENNAI: Days after enacting a law declaring the Cauvery delta districts and some blocks in two other districts as protected agricultural zone, the Tamil Nadu government on Monday issued an order prohibiting new industrial activities -- eight categories of industries -- in the region under the environment law. The order has also been published in an extraordinary gazette.
The government issued the ban order in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the notification issued by the Union ministry of environment and forests in February 1988. “Provided that such prohibition shall not affect the activities or projects in operation in the said areas on the date of publication of this notification in the Tamil Nadu government gazette,” the order said.
The areas are whole of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, Kattumannarkoil, Melbhuvanagiri, Keerapalayam, Parangipettai and Kumaratchi blocks of Cuddalore district and Aranthangi, Avudaiyarkoil, Manamelkudi, Tiruvarangulam and Karambakudi blocks of Pudukkottai district.
The banned industries include zinc, copper and aluminium smelter, iron ore process plant, integrated steel plant and sponge iron plant, bone meal, processing of animal horn, hoofs and other body parts, tannery, exploration, drilling and extraction of oil and natural gas including coal-bed methane, shale gas, and other similar hydrocarbons and ship breaking industry.
The state government cited Article 48-A of the Constitution that mandated the state to protect and improve environment. “The central government in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 23 of the Environment (Protection) Act, has delegated the powers vested in it under the Section 5, among other states, to the state of Tamil Nadu vide notification dated February 10, 1988,” the order said, while banning the industries under the environment law.
On Friday, the housing and urban development department cancelled its notification issued in 2017 declaring 45 villages of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts as a local planning area for constitution of the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR). The state notified 22,939 hectares of land for the development of the region.
The government issued the ban order in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and the notification issued by the Union ministry of environment and forests in February 1988. “Provided that such prohibition shall not affect the activities or projects in operation in the said areas on the date of publication of this notification in the Tamil Nadu government gazette,” the order said.
The areas are whole of Thanjavur, Tiruvarur and Nagapattinam districts, Kattumannarkoil, Melbhuvanagiri, Keerapalayam, Parangipettai and Kumaratchi blocks of Cuddalore district and Aranthangi, Avudaiyarkoil, Manamelkudi, Tiruvarangulam and Karambakudi blocks of Pudukkottai district.
The banned industries include zinc, copper and aluminium smelter, iron ore process plant, integrated steel plant and sponge iron plant, bone meal, processing of animal horn, hoofs and other body parts, tannery, exploration, drilling and extraction of oil and natural gas including coal-bed methane, shale gas, and other similar hydrocarbons and ship breaking industry.
The state government cited Article 48-A of the Constitution that mandated the state to protect and improve environment. “The central government in exercise of the powers conferred under Section 23 of the Environment (Protection) Act, has delegated the powers vested in it under the Section 5, among other states, to the state of Tamil Nadu vide notification dated February 10, 1988,” the order said, while banning the industries under the environment law.
On Friday, the housing and urban development department cancelled its notification issued in 2017 declaring 45 villages of Nagapattinam and Cuddalore districts as a local planning area for constitution of the Petroleum, Chemicals and Petrochemicals Investment Region (PCPIR). The state notified 22,939 hectares of land for the development of the region.
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