Green nod to 87 development projects in 2 years

Green nod to 87 development projects in 2 years

Subject :Environment

Section : Environment Laws

Context: From 2020 to 2022, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has given clearances to around 87 development projects, with three falling in protected areas.

More on the News:

• Over the last three years (2020-2022), about 31 projects related to highways; 11 projects related to ports; 15 projects related to airports; 20 projects related to river valley and 10 projects related to thermal power plants have been granted environmental clearance by the ministry.
• About 23 lakh trees have been proposed to be removed for the development of the aforementioned projects. Compensatory plantation is carried out as per the extant norms and the same is incorporated as a condition in the respective Environmental Clearance.

Environment Clearance:

• Environmental Clearance is declared mandatory for both industries and construction-based projects, which can be already existing or new projects, as per the notification issued by the EIA in 2006, under the authorisation of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change along with the implementation of amendments.
• In accordance with the notification issued by the EIA in 2006, there is a list of Industries issued that fall under specific categories.
• The following acts mentioned below govern the issuance of the Clearance –
  • The Environment (Protein) Act, 1986
  • The Biological Diversity Act, 2002
  • The National Environmental Tribunal Act, 1995
  • National Green Tribunal Act, 2010
  • The National Environmental Appellate Authority Act, 1997

Requirements of Environmental Clearance

• There are specific requirements for existing and new projects for issuing a prior Clearance which is needed to be fulfilled under the concerned regulatory authority personnel based on the type of category –
  • If the project falls under “Category – A” of the Schedule, the regulatory authorised personnel is the Ministry of Environment and Forest, Central Government.
  • If the project falls under “Category – B” of the Schedule, the regulatory authorised personnel is the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, which is also known as SEIAA.
• Prior to any initiation of construction work, or any initiation of other activity by the Project Management, with the exception of securing the land, the following requirements need to be mandatorily informed to the authorised personnel –
  • All the activities need to be listed in the Schedule in accordance with the notification issued by the EIA in 2006.
  • The expansion and development of the existing projects that are listed in the Schedule in accordance with the notification through the accumulation of capacities beyond the limits that are specified.
  • Any changes made to the product type from an existing producing unit included in the schedule that is beyond the specific range.

About  EIA https://optimizeias.com/environmental-impact-assessments/

About CAMPA https://optimizeias.com/the-compensatory-afforestation-fund-management-and-planning-authority-campa/