Lok Sabha Question No. 1148 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2019-11-22
Subject: Bio-diversity Conservation
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Kunhalikutty P.K.

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1148

TO BE ANSWERED ON 22.11.2019

## Bio-diversity Conservation

## 1148. SHRI P.K. KUNHALIKUTTY:

Will  the  Minister  of  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND  CLIMATE  CHANGE  be  pleased  to state:

- (a) whether the Government has received any proposal to implement bio-diversity conservation as new criterion to grant environmental and forest clearances;
- (b) if so, the details thereof;
- (c) whether introducing new clearance/procedures in addition to existing clearances by the Government would hamper industrial and infrastructure projects;
- (d) if so, the details thereof and if not, the reasons therefor;
- (e) whether the Government has assessed the impact on bio-diversity on any industrial project cleared so far; and
- (f) if not, the reasons for introducing one more level of clearance at this stage when the industries are facing slowdown?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI BABUL SUPRIYO)

- (a) to  (f) Till  date,  no  proposal  has  been  received  in  this  Ministry  to  implement biodiversity  conservation  as  new  criterion  to  grant  environmental  and  forest clearances. However, the overall biodiversity conservation criteria are already incorporated in forest, wildlife and environmental clearances.

The  Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  and  Climate  Change  has  notified  the Environment  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  Notification,  2006,  as  amended  from time to time, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which deals with the process to grant environmental clearance, stipulates conditions for safeguarding the environment which includes biodiversity conservation.

The Expert Appraisal Committees (EAC) while appraising the projects for grant of environmental clearance duly considers impacts on the biodiversity, flora and fauna in the study area based on the EIA studies carried out for the project by the  accredited  consultants.  Based  on  the  same,  specific  conditions  regard  to implementation of biodiversity conservation plan are stipulated on case to case basis  by  the  EAC  while  granting  environmental  clearance  (EC).  In  case  of presence of any Schedule-I species under Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972 and RET (Rare, Endangered and Threatened) species under International Union for Conservation of Nature (IUCN) is found in the study area, the EAC seek for biodiversity/wildlife  conservation  plan  to  minimise  the  impact  due  to  project activity to the rare biodiversity present in study area of the project.

In addition, the following standard EC conditions have already been stipulated for industries in the interest of conservation of biodiversity:

- i. Green belt shall be developed in an area of 33% of the total project with indigenous native tree species in accordance with CPCB guidelines. The green belt shall inter-alia cover an entire periphery of the plant.
- ii. In-situ/ex-situ Conservation Plan for the conservation of flora and fauna should be prepared and implemented.
- iii. Suitable  screens  shall  be  placed  across  the  intake  channel  to  prevent entrainment  of  life  forms  including  eggs,  larvae,  juvenile  fish,  etc., during extraction of seawater.