(a) whether it is a fact that the Government of Kerala had requested the Union Government to reconsider some of the key suggestions in the draft Environment Impact Assessment,2020 notification;
(b) if so, the details thereof;
(c) whether the Government has taken note of the concerns pertaining to its adverse effects on the conservation of environment; and
(d) if so, the decision taken by the Union Government on the various proposals/concerns of the State Governments?
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)
(a) & (b): Yes, sir. The Government of Kerala has given some suggestions, inter alia, including categorization of mining of minor mineral having lease area between 2 to 100 ha under category-B1; delegation of mining of minor mineral having lease area less than 2 ha to District level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA) rather than State level Environmental Impact Assessment Authority; restoring the period of notice for public hearing as 30 days and retention of DEIAA and DEAC.
(c) & (d): The Government has noted the suggestions of the State Government. The draft EIA Notification, 2020 was published in the Official Gazette on 11th April, 2020 for seeking comments of the public. The said Notification was available for public comments up to 11th August, 2020. Several comments/suggestions have been received from various stakeholders across the country including from State Government and Union Territory administrations. An Expert Committee under the chairmanship of Dr. S.R. Wate, former Director, National Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI) has been constituted for review/deliberation on the comments and suggestions received on the draft Environmental Impact Assessment Notification.
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