National Green Tribunal (NGT) Directs Reconsideration of Quarry Project Near Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary

Key facts

• The National Green Tribunal (NGT) set aside the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), Tamil Nadu's order rejecting a stone and gravel quarry proposal near the Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary.
• The proposed quarry project is spread over 6.02.5 hectares in Padmanabamangalam village, Srivaikundam taluk, Thoothukudi district.
• The Vallanadu Blackbuck Sanctuary is dedicated to the conservation of the blackbuck (Indian antelope), which is a protected species under Schedule I of the Wildlife (Protection) Act.
• The National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) has notified the blackbuck as a scheduled species that requires open grasslands with intermittent bushes for its habitat.
• According to the District Forest Officer (DFO), Thoothukudi, the proposed quarry site is located 1.92 km from the sanctuary and 1.44 km from its Eco-Sensitive Zone (ESZ).
• The NGT bench, comprising Justice Pushpa Sathyanarayana and Dr Prashant Gargava, directed the SEIAA to reconsider the proposal within six weeks and impose appropriate protective conditions for wildlife.
• Research papers cited by the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) indicate that blackbucks are timid animals that can move up to 5 km from the sanctuary for grazing.