Lok Sabha Question No. 1754 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2025-03-10
Subject: Projects in Hilly Areas
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Shri Charanjit Singh Channi

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA

## UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 1754 TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.03.2025

## Projects in Hilly Areas

## 1754. SHRI CHARANJIT SINGH CHANNI:

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

- (a) whether the Government is aware of the impact of construction activities in hilly areas on the local ecosystem in the future, if so the major construction projects in hilly areas, State-wise; and
- (b) the measures being taken by the Government to preserve the ecosystem of hilly areas?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER  OF  STATE  IN  THE  MINISTRY  OF  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST  AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)

(a) & (b) The Central Government has framed a detailed procedure for assessment of environmental impact of development/construction projects and prescribed the same in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, as amended from time to time. All Projects/Activities mentioned in the Schedule of EIA Notification, 2006 including Building Construction works, construction of River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects and highways are appraised by the sectoral Expert Appraisal Committee where they are duly examined from the point of view of environmental safeguards to ensure that the projects have minimal impact on the environment. It is only after ensuring that the projects pass the rigor of scrutiny from the  point  of  view  of  environmental  safeguards,  the  projects  are  granted  Environmental Clearances after incorporating the necessary general and specific conditions. The details of major construction project (Hydroelectric) in Hilly Areas/Indian Himalayan Region (IHR) granted Environmental Clearance is enclosed as Annexure I .

In order to preserve the fragile eco-system including hilly areas, Ministry stipulates various environmental safeguards/conditions while granting ECs to all construction projects. These includes landslide management plan, comprehensive study on vulnerability for the landslide, eco-fragility  study  of  the  area,  implementing  guidelines  of  Indian  Road  Congress  (IRC), embankments along the slopes to restrict soil erosion, installation of Sewage Treatment Plants, compliance of Energy Conservation Building Code (ECBC), implementation of Catchment Area Treatment (CAT) Plan, Environmental Management Plan (EMP), implementation of Wildlife Conservation Plan, Greenbelt Development and Forest Protection Plan,  Stabilization of  muck  disposal  sites,  real-time  e-flow  monitoring,  early  warning  flood  system  and emergency preparedness plan for dam failure.

Further, any projects located in the Forest/Protected Areas are permitted to the user agency only after obtaining prior clearance from the Competent Authority under the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980 and National Board for Wildlife under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. MoEF&CC has also notified the Eco sensitive Zone (ESZ) around protected areas under the provisions of Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 to regulate certain activities including construction activities to reduce the negative impact on the environment and promote sustainable development. These measures are aimed at preserving the ecological balance and ensure the protection of environment and biodiversity in these sensitive regions including hilly areas.

Further, it is to inform that G.B. Pant National Institute of Himalayan Environment (NIHE) as an autonomous Institute of MoEF&CC has developed several guidelines and documents to preserve the Hilly areas ecosystem i.e. Progression in Development Planning for the Indian Himalayan Region, Governance for Sustaining Himalayan Ecosystem (G-SHE), Action Plan for Himalaya and Task Force Report - Planning Commission.

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Annexure-I is with regard to Reply of part (a) & (b) to Lok Sabha Unstarred Question No. 1754 by Shri Charanjit Singh Channi regarding projects in Hilly Areas/IHR due for reply on 10.03.2025

|   S. No | User Agency Name                                      | Project name                                                    | State             | Date of Granted   |
|---------|-------------------------------------------------------|-----------------------------------------------------------------|-------------------|-------------------|
|       1 | SJVN Limited                                          | Luhri Hydroelectric Project Stage - 1                           | Himachal Pradesh  | 17-03-2020        |
|       2 | UJVN Ltd                                              | Lakhwar Multipurpose Project                                    | Uttarakhand       | 02-02-2021        |
|       3 | Madhya Bharat Power Corporation Limited               | Rongnichu HEP                                                   | Sikkim            | 02-02-2021        |
|       4 | Jammu and Kashmir State Power Development Corporation | Ujh Multipurpose Project                                        | Jammu and Kashmir | 18-03-2021        |
|       5 | JSW Hydro Energy Limited                              | Karcham Wangtoo Hydro Electric Project                          | Himachal Pradesh  | 06-08-2021        |
|       6 | Tidong Power Generation Private Limited               | Third Unit of50MW (Phase-II) For Tidong-I Hydroelectric Project | Himachal Pradesh  | 06-08-2021        |
|       7 | THDC India Limited                                    | Vishnugad Pipalkoti Hydro-Electric Project                      | Uttarakhand       | 26-08-2021        |
|       8 | SJVN Limited                                          | Sunni Dam Project                                               | Himachal Pradesh  | 04-02-2022        |
|       9 | NTPC Limited                                          | Rammam Hydro Power Project, Stage-III                           | West Bengal       | 26-08-2021        |