(a) whether the Karnataka Government has requested the Union Government to release funds for conducting environment impact assessment studies in the State;
(b) if so, whether the Union Government have released the funds;
(c) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor; and
(d) the time by which the funds are likely to be released?
MINISTER OF ENVIRONMENT AND FORESTS (SHRI T. R. BAALU)
(a) Yes Sir. In view of the fact that the mining leases in the Hospet-Bellary region of Karnataka have been given and areas opened up in a very haphazard and scattered manner leading to environmental degradation, the Ministry of Environment & Forests, Govt. of India had requested the Karnataka Government to get the Environment Impact Assessment and carrying capacity studies of the region conducted through an institute of repute so as to ameliorate this situation and to evolve a long term mining policy for the region. The State Government has submitted a proposal for carrying out these studies at an estimated cost of Rs. 1.05 crores for which the release of funds has been requested by the Karnataka Government.
(b) to (d) As adequate financial provisions for instituting such studies were not available in the Ministry, the Ministry of Mines has been requested to get the study done from Indian Bureau of Mines, Nagpur.