(a) whether a large number of projects/proposals from North Eastern States including Arunachal Pradesh are pending with the Union Government for environment and forest clearance;
(b) if so, the details thereof including the reasons therefor, State, project and location-wise;
(c) the steps being taken by the Government to expedite the clearances for overall development of North Eastern Region; and
(d) the time by which the clearance for pending projects are likely to be accorded?
MINISTER OF STATE (INDEPENDENT CHARGE) FOR ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI ANIL MADHAV DAVE)
(a) & (b) A list of 17 projects for Environment Clearance (EC) and 2 projects for Forest Clearance (FC) from North Eastern States, including Arunachal Pradesh, pending in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change is annexed.
(c) The major initiatives taken by the Ministry to streamline the process of EC and FC, inter-alia include use of information technology, increasing of Regional Offices from six to ten, constitution of Regional Empowered Committees (REC), delegation of powers to Regional Office for forest diversion, grant of FC by RECs for linear projects, delegation of more powers to State level Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs), standardization of Terms of Reference for all sectors, finalisation of ToRs within 30 days, general approval for roads and other strategic infrastructure in area of 100 km from line of actual control, exemption to highway projects in border states from scoping requirement and exempting linear projects in border states from the requirement of public hearing subject to suitable conditions, delegation of powers to District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) headed by District Magistrate/District Collector for mining of minor minerals including sand, constitution of additional Expert Appraisal Committees, regular meetings of the Expert Appraisal Committees, review of pending projects at various levels in the government etc.
(d) Proposals for grant of EC and FC are dealt as per the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 as amended from time to time and Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 respectively, which inter-alia provide timelines for each stage of consideration. Precise time frame for grant of EC of all the pending projects of North Eastern States cannot be indicated at this stage in view of the various processes involved, requirement of requisite documentation including river basin studies, Forest Clearance etc.
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