Question : VIOLATION OF CLEARANCE NORMS



(a) whether the cases of violation of environment and forest clearance norms have been reported to the Government during the last three years;

(b) if so, the details thereof, company/firm/project-wise along with the action taken/being taken including imposition of penalty by the Government in this regard;

(c) whether some projects have been kept pending for violation of clearance norms in the country; and

(d) if so, the details thereof and along with the steps taken/being taken by the Government in this regard?

Answer given by the minister


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.