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.