Lok Sabha Question No. 1280 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2022-07-25
Subject: Projects Pending for Environmental Clearance
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Ajay Kumar Mandal, Pradeep Kumar Singh, Kirron  Kher, Hemant Patil

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

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1280.

TO BE ANSWERED ON: 25.07.2022

## Projects Pending for Environmental Clearance

1280.

SHRI AJAY KUMAR MANDAL:

SHRI PRADEEP KUMAR SINGH:

SHRIMATI KIRRON KHER:

SHRI HEMANT SRIRAM PATIL:

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

- (a) whether a large number of projects are pending with the Union Government since long for environmental clearance;
- (b) if so, the details thereof and the reasons for such delay, State/UT-wise particularly of Punjab and Bihar and Bhagalpur district in Bihar;
- (c) whether  the  Government  has  conducted  any  study  to  assess  the  losses  due  to  the delay in granting clearance to the said projects, if so, the details thereof;
- (d) whether the  Government have cleared number of pending proposals including the projects habitation/ adjoining areas of endangered animals;
- (e) the  steps  taken  by  the  Government  for  providing  early  environment  clearance  to such pending projects; and
- (f) the measures taken by the Government to protect fauna and flora and the depleting forest cover in the country?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a) to (e): As per information available on PARIVESH Portal, approximately 172 proposals belonging  to  various  State/UT  including  one  Environmental  Clearance  (EC)  proposal received from the State of Punjab and three EC proposals from the State of Bihar for grant of EC are  being  dealt  at  the  Central  level.  No  EC  proposal  is  pending  from  the  District Bhagalpur at central level.

With a view to expedite the EC process, a number of steps have been taken by the Central Government, which includes following:

- (i) Ministry has launched a single window  online PARIVESH  (Pro-Active and Responsive  facilitation  by  Interactive,  Virtuous  and  Environmental  Single-window

Hub) portal on 10thAugust, 2018 which automates the entire process of EC starting from  submission  of  application,  preparation  of  agenda,  preparation  of  Minutes  to grant of clearances.

- (ii) EAC meetings for appraisal of projects are now conducted twice a month.
- (iii) Various initiatives have been taken by the Ministry towards necessary amendments in the  policies  and  regulations  to  ensure  transparent  and  simplified  process  of  EC without compromising on rigor of the environmental concerns.

Due to various efforts taken by Government towards streamlining the EC procedure, overall time  taken  in  grant  of  EC  has  reduced  considerably  over  the  years  and  it  has  taken approximately 75 days in the year 2021 against the maximum of 105 days as prescribed in EIA Notification, 2006.

(f): The  Government  has  taken  a  number  of  measures  to  protect  flora  and  increase  in forest cover in the Country.  These, inter-alia, include the National Afforestation Programme (NAP) and Green India Mission (GIM) being implemented by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and  Climate  Change.  Afforestation  activities  are  also  taken  up  under  various programmes/funding sources such as Mahatma  Gandhi National Rural Employment Guarantee  Scheme,  Compensatory  Afforestation  Funds  under  Compensatory  Afforestation Fund Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA). Afforestation activities are also taken up under various schemes of State Government /UT Administration. As per the India State of Forest  Report  (ISFR)  2021,  the  forest  cover  has  increased  by  1540  square  kilometer compared to last assessment i.e. ISFR 2019. Various schemes are being implemented by the Central and State Government/Union Territory Administration for increase in forest and tree cover in the country.

Similarly, the Government has also taken a number of steps to protect and conserve wildlife and endangered species of flora and fauna. These, inter-alia, include:

- i. Protected  Areas,  viz.,  National  Parks,  Sanctuaries,  Conservation Reserves  and Community Reserves covering important wildlife habitats have been created all over the country under the provisions of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 to conserve wild animals and their habitats.
- ii. Rare and endangered species of animals found in India like Snow Leopard, Olive Ridley Turtles, Great Indian Bustard, Gangetic Dolphin, Dugong, etc. have been listed  in  Schedule-I  of  the  Wild Life  (Protection)  Act,  1972,  thereby  providing them highest degree of protection.
- iii. Wildlife  Crime  Control  Bureau  has  been  set  up  to  gather  intelligence  about poaching and unlawful trade in wild animals and animal articles and to achieve inter-state and trans-boundary coordination in enforcement of wildlife laws.
- iv. The Ministry has formulated the 3 rd 'National Wildlife Action Plan' for a period of  2017  to  2031  to  save  wild  animals  in  the country.  The  Plan  focuses  on landscape  approach  in  conservation of  all  wildlife  irrespective  of  where  they occur. It also gives special emphasis to recovery of threatened species of wildlife while conserving their habitats which includes terrestrial, in land aquatic, coastal and marine ecosystems.
- v. Providing financial assistance under Centrally Sponsored Schemes viz. 'Development of Wildlife Habitats', 'Project Tiger' and' Project Elephant.'
- vi. Providing  financial  assistance  to  States/UTs  for  the  recovery programme  of critically  endangered  species  under  the  component Recovery  programme  for saving of critically endangered species and habitats under CSS- 'Development of
7. Wildlife Habitats'. Atotal of 22 critically endangered species have been identified under this programme.
- vii. A  National  Action  Plan  for  conservation  of  migratory  birds  along the  Central Asian Flyway has been launched.
- viii. Local communities have been involved in conservation of migratory species e.g. Amur Falcon in State  of  Nagaland;  Whale Shark  in  Gujarat;  Dugong  in  Tamil Nadu; Olive Ridley Turtles in Odisha.
- ix. India is a signatory to the Convention on Migratory Species(CMS). India has also signed  a  Memorandum  of  Understanding(MOU)  on  conservation  of  Siberian Cranes, Marine Turtles, Dugongs and Raptors.
- x. In  order  to  further  strengthen  conservation  of  wildlife,  Eco-Sensitive  Zones (ESZs) are notified around National Parks and Sanctuaries under the provisions of the Environment (Protection)Act, 1986.

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