CEE Oct-Dec 2012

GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 637 TO BE ANSWERED ON 13.8.2012 Environmental Clearances to Projects 637. Shri Harin Pathak: Shrimati Poonam Veljibhai Jat: Shri Balkrishna K. Shukla: 1 ·- Shri Dilip Shingh Ju Dev: Shri Chandarkant Khaire: Will the Minister of Environment and Forest be pleased to state: a. Whether the Government proposes to bring a fast track mechanism for granting environmental clearances to various projects including decentralization of the power to State authorities in the country; b. If so, the details thereof; c. the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard; d. the total number of environmental clearance proposals cleared during the last three years and current year, State-wise including Gujarat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh ; e. the number of proposals still pending for clearance as on date; and f. the time by which pending proposals are likely to be cleared? Answer Minister of State (Independent Charge) For Environment and Forests (Shrimati Jayanthi Natarajan) a,b&c As per the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, prior environmental clearance is mandatory for projects listed in its schedule. To decentralize the work, the power to grant environmental clearances for category 'B' projects has been delegated under the Notification to State/Union territory Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIM)/ State Environment Appraisal Committee (SEAC). SEIAAs/SEACs have been constituted in 26 States/Union Territories. The steps taken/being taken by the Government to fast track granting environmental clearances include: i. Regular meetings of the Expert Appraisal Committee covering the various sectors. ii . Regular updating of status of projects for environmental clearance on the Ministry's website for the benefit of all stakeholders. iii. Sector specific manuals have been prepared and uploaded on the Ministry's websi te to facilitate preparation of EIAIEMP reports by the project proponents. iv. A number of circulars on the EIA Notification, 2006 and the process for obtaining environmental clearance have also been uploaded on the MoEF website to facilitate the project proponents in preparation of EIAIEMP reports with all relevant information. v. Regular follow up with the State Governments/Union Territories for constitution of the SEIMs/SEACs. d. The details of development projects granted environmental clearance by the Ministry of Environment & Forests during the last three years and during the current year state-wise including Gujurat, Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh are given at Page 63. e. & f. A total of 593 proposals are pending for environmental clearance as on date. The EIA Notification 2006 prescribes a time limit of 105 days from the date of receipt of complete information for according environmental clearance. As and when complete information is submitted by the project proponent, the proposal is considered for environment clearance. *********** 62