The Signature Bridge has finally got an environmental clearance by SEIAA (the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority of Delhi)
The Signature Bridge which is unique cable-suspended bridge, at River Yamuna on Wazirabad which will connect to north and east Delhi, has finally got an environmental clearance by SEIAA (the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority of Delhi) on dated 7 January 2016. SEIAA analyses the \’ecological impact\’ of big constructions, coal mining proposals, hydroelectric projects, dams which came under the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF). when the Signature Bridge was first proposed in 2004 it did not require an Environmental Clearance (EC). Petitioner Vikrant Tongad was brought it to the notice of the National Green Tribunal (NGT), that it needed a \’green audit\’ because it was being built on river Yamuna over a vast area of 2.80 lakh square meters. A senior engineer working on the Signature Bridge said that it has received the go-ahead with certain Terms of Reference (ToR). While An official notification of the final clearance is awaited. He also said that, \’Experts of the SEIAA – who come from various fields like geological, forest, seismological, wildlife and building construction bylaws – were all satisfied that we are fulfill their conditions. we are using flyash bricks and planted more trees than cut for the project. the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) stated that the \’Signature Bridge\’ project has cleared the first stage of scrutiny, the minutes of the meeting which was held on January 5, are available on the SEIAA Delhi website. Signature Bridge has been missed several deadlines, escalating the cost from Rs 464 crore in 2006 to Rs 1,575 crore now. The SEAC will recommended the case to SEIAA for grant of Environmental Clearance in its 85th meeting which will be held on 17 December, 2016.It has given various conditions such as — use of anti-carbonation paint to protect from pollutants, no dumping of waste into the river, taking consent from authorities concerned on safety from earthquake and lightning, traffic studies on the bridge and noise pollution prevention etc.
