MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (Dr. M. VEERAPPA MOILY):
(a) & (b): The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has set up six Regional
Offices located at Bangalore, Bhopal, Bhubaneswar, Chandigarh, Lucknow and Shillong to
inter-alia monitor the implementation of conditions and safeguards stipulated by the
Ministry while granting clearance to development projects under Forest (Conservation)
Act, 1980 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. As per the reports submitted by these
Regional Offices, the Sector-wise details of the reported non-compliance of the environment
clearance conditions during the year 2011- 2014 are given in the Annexure.
Based on the reported non-compliances, follow-up action has been taken including issuance of
show-cause notices and directions under Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. Various measures
have been taken for improving the compliance of the stipulated environment and forestry
clearance conditions which inter-alia include involvement of the State Governments and their
agencies like State Pollution Control Boards, putting the monitoring reports on the websites
of the companies in public domain and rigorous follow-up with the project proponents.
During the last three years 308 cases of violation of Forest clearance norms have been
reported. Appropriate action has been initiated against violating projects which inter-alia
include the issuance of directions under Forest (conservation), Act, 1980 and imposing penal
compensatory afforestation.
(c) & (d): Ministry of Environment & Forests has brought out the Environment Impact Assessment
Notification, 2006, which requires projects / activities listed thereunder to obtain prior
environment clearance. All the projects submitted for obtaining environment clearance are
appraised in terms of the provisions of EIA Notification, 2006 as per the procedure prescribed
there under. As on January, 2014, one hundred and fifty seven (157) projects are awaiting
environment clearance from Ministry of Environment & Forests due to violations of the provisions
of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980.
Adequate measures have been taken and put in place while appraising projects for the grant of
clearance. MoEF is considering the grant of environmental clearance prospectively in such cases
of violation only after credible penal action has been initiated by the State Government under
the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 against the proponent for such violation.