Halcrow, consultants to Pondicherry Port Limited, could not give a detailed response to Down To Earth's questionnaire pleading time constraints, but it did clearly say the environment impact assessment (EIA) it prepared "was in accordance with ToR (terms of reference) given to us by the client'.

As far as the EIA goes, Subhash Projects and Marketing Limited (SPML) said Halcrow had prepared a rapid study "taking into consideration all relevant aspects'. "However we are again conducting a fresh 2 season EIA study by National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI). The present assignment will be in continuation of rapid EIA study