Chennai-based consultant appointed to prepare EIA for setting up industries at Sedarapet in Puducherry

The process to utilise 750-odd acres of land at the Sedarapet-Karasur area in Puducherry for industrial purposes has gathered momentum with the government appointing Chennai-based firm, Hubert Enviro Care Systems, to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report to obtain necessary clearances.

The process to utilise 750-odd acres of land at the Sedarapet-Karasur area in Puducherry for industrial purposes has gathered momentum with the government appointing Chennai-based firm, Hubert Enviro Care Systems, to prepare an Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) report to obtain necessary clearances.

The firm, empanelled by the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training, will prepare the EIA, a legal document required for any major infrastructure project in the country. The industrial utilisation of the 750 acres of land required both environment and wildlife clearances due to the proximity of the Sedarapet-Karasur area to the Ousteri lake, one of the 93 significant wetlands in Asia.

A few months ago, the Pondicherry Industrial Promotion Development and Investment Corporation Limited (PIPDIC) had engaged multinational consulting firm, Ernst and Young (E&Y), for preparing a master plan for the industrial utilisation of the land.

“The master plan preparation has already started, and a week ago, the PIPDIC engaged Hubert Enviro for the preparation of the EIA. The preparation of the EIA is one of the components of the master plan. It will take at least six months for completion of the reports,” a senior official told The Hindu.

The Puducherry government, the official said, had received enquiries for the establishment of pharma companies on the 750 acres of land. The government was also keen to set aside around 150 acres to set up pharmaceutical companies, the official said.

In March this year, a team from the Indian Institute of Technology, Madras (IIT-M), inspected the site to explore the possibility of establishing a G-20 International Research Park and satellite campus there. However, much of the progress towards their establishment would depend on how the government responds to the institute’s request for 100 acres of land free of cost at the site, said another top official.

The Revenue Department had acquired the 750 acres of land, mostly agricultural, in 2006 for setting up a Special Economic Zone (SEZ). The UT administration had then incurred ₹74 crore on land acquisition. However, the project ran into rough weather with the Centre cancelling the setting up of the SEZ as the land acquired was not contiguous.