SC: IOC, Adani pipelines can pass through Guj sanctuary
Mumbai   16-Apr-2010

The Supreme Court (SC) has given green signal to IndianOil (IOC) and Adani Power to utilise huge reserved forestland in the Wild Ass Sanctuary in Gujarat.

The IOC had sought the court's permission to use 21.006 hectares of marshy forestland for laying underground oil pipeline.

A central-empowered committee appointed by the court then said the IOC plea could be considered if the oil major complied with certain conditions.

As IOC agreed to the conditions, a special bench headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan on Monday allowed laying underground pipeline in the sanctuary.

The IOC, however, will have to get approval under the Forest Conservation Act and deposit 5% of the project cost for the portion falling in the sanctuary. This money would be utilised to construct and protect works in the sanctuary, the bench said.

The oil company will also pay the net project value (NPV) as per the rates applicable for the use of the forestland falling within the sanctuary. Besides, IOC will have to comply with the conditions laid down by the chief wildlife warden of Gujarat, the State Advisory Board for Wild Life and the Standing Committee of National Board for Wildlife.

In another order, the court allowed Adani Power Limited to use 89.7364 hectares of land for construction of the Mundra-Mahendragarh 500 KV and the Mundra-Dehgam 400 KV double-circuit transmission lines passing through the sanctuary.

Adani will also comply with all the conditions that are stipulated for IOC and it will deposit 5 % of the project cost (Rsl7.6 crore) for the portion of the transmission lines passing through the sanctuary.