43 projects in green zones got nod in 6 yrs

Aksheev Thakur

New Delhi, March 24

Over 100 projects, including those pertaining to the coal, mining and industrial sectors, were given environmental clearance by the Union Environment Ministry between March 2017 and January 2024.

During the 2018-2023 period, the ministry received 53 proposals for projects in eco-sensitive zones, of which 43 were granted environmental clearance. Eco-sensitive zones fall within a 10 km radius of protected areas. Industrial activity inside these zones is considered detrimental for the wildlife.

Threat to wildlife

• Eco-sensitive zones fall within a 10 km radius of protected areas
• Industrial activity in these zones is considered detrimental to wildlife

In March 2017, the ministry provided a six-month window as a one-time opportunity to the units which had not obtained environmental clearance to apply for it.

In July 2021, the ministry issued a standard operating procedure to all state governments to provide environment clearance to projects that had already commenced without such clearance. In January 2022, the ministry again issued fresh directions to the state governments to grant ex post facto clearance to projects that had been in violation of the environment impact assessment notification.

However, during this period, the expert appraisal committee (EAC) of the ministry issued environmental clearance to coal, mining, infrastructure, non-coal, industrial and airport projects.

In January this year, the Supreme Court stayed two office memoranda by the ministry that allowed projects to receive ex post facto environment clearance even if they were in violation of the environment impact assessment notification.

In December 2023, post facto clearance was given by the ministry to a road project in Jammu and Kashmir, which came up on forestland. The same month, the ministry gave post facto approval to a private university built on 13.6 hectares of Aravali forestland in Faridabad.

One of the iron and steel manufacturing projects in Maharashtra’s Gadchiroli district was given ex post facto approval after operating for 12 years without environment clearance. Likewise, in Telangana, a metal unit continued mining for seven years without environment clearance. However, later it was given clearance. In Jharkhand, a coal mine run by the NTPC was given environment clearance despite flagging violations.