Lok Sabha Question No. 232 (STARRED), answered on 2016-05-10
Subject: Environmental Clearance
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: KINJARAPU RAM MOHAN NAIDU

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

## LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 232

TO BE ANSWERED ON 10.05.2016

## Environmental Clearance

## *232. SHRI RAM MOHAN NAIDU KINJARAPU:

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

- (a) the  total  number  of  applications  received  from  various  industries  and  approved  for environmental clearances during the last two years and the current year, category-wise;
- (b) the average time taken for processing of such environmental clearances;
- (c) whether the Government plans to set up a single window clearance for the projects; and
- (d) if so, the timeframe by which it is likely to be implemented?

## ANSWER

MINISTER  OF  STATE  (INDEPENDENT  CHARGE)  FOR  ENVIRONMENT,  FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

- (a) to (d) A statement is laid on the Table of the House.

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## STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (d) OF LOK SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  232  FOR  ANSWER  ON  10.05.2016  REGARDING 'ENVIRONMENTAL CLEARANCE'

- (a)    The  number  of  applications  received  from  various  industries  and  environmental clearances accorded during the last two years and the current year is as follows:

| Year                    |   Applications received |   Environmental Clearance granted |
|-------------------------|-------------------------|-----------------------------------|
| 2014                    |                     384 |                               325 |
| 2015                    |                     610 |                               714 |
| 2016 (Till April, 2016) |                     151 |                               202 |
| Total                   |                    1145 |                              1241 |

The category wise details are at annexure 1 & 2.

- (b) The  weighted  average  time  taken  in  granting  environmental  clearance  before launching online system (4th July 2014) was approximately 600 days, which has now come down to 192 days after launch of  online  system  for  applications  for environmental clearance.

The timelines prescribed in the EIA Notification, 2006 for various stages of EC are as follows:

- 30 days for prescribing the TORs;
- 60 days for appraisal by EAC/SEAC;
- 45 days for public consultation;
- 45 days for communicating the decision of the Ministry to project proponent.
- (c) & (d) In  order  to  bring  more  transparency  and  accountability  in  the  Environment, Forest and wildlife Clearance processes, the Ministry has rolled out a portal named as Online Submission and Monitoring of Environmental, Forest and Wildlife Clearances (A  single  window  clearance  system).  This  portal  provides  for  a  single  interface  for proponent/user agency for submitting three separate applications pertaining to Environmental, Forest and Wildlife Clearances. On-line submission of application for environment clearance  was  mandated  w.e.f.  04.07.2014  to  bring  transparency  in  the process of environmental clearance.

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ANNEXURE-1  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  232  FOR  ANSWER  ON  10.05.2016  REGARDING 'ENVIRONMENTAL  CLEARANCE'  RAISED  BY  SHRI  RAM  MOHAN  NAIDU KINJARAPU, HON'BLE MP.

Number of Proposals Accorded Environmental Clearance during 2014, 2015 and 2016 (Till April)

| Year (Jan- Dec)   |   Coal Mining |   Industry |   Non Coal Mining |   Misc., Infra, New Construction Project |   River Valley HEP |   Thermal |   Nuclear, Defence |   Total |
|-------------------|---------------|------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------|-----------|--------------------|---------|
| 2014              |            42 |        134 |                61 |                                       67 |                  3 |        17 |                  1 |     325 |
| 2015              |            52 |        287 |               175 |                                      171 |                 13 |        15 |                  1 |     714 |
| 2016 (Till April) |             7 |         91 |                77 |                                       18 |                  2 |         4 |                  3 |     202 |
| TOTAL             |           101 |        512 |               313 |                                      256 |                 18 |        36 |                  5 |    1241 |

ANNEXURE-2  REFERRED  TO  IN  REPLY  TO  PARTS  (a)  OF  LOK  SABHA STARRED  QUESTION  NO.  232  FOR  ANSWER  ON  10.05.2016  REGARDING 'ENVIRONMENTAL  CLEARANCE'  RAISED  BY  SHRI  RAM  MOHAN  NAIDU KINJARAPU, HON'BLE MP.

## Number of Proposals Received for Environmental Clearance during 2014, 2015 and 2016 (Till April)

| Year (Jan- Dec)   |   Coal Mining |   Industry |   Non Coal Mining |   Misc., Infra, New Construction Project |   River Valley HEP |   Thermal |   Nuclear, Defence |   Total |
|-------------------|---------------|------------|-------------------|------------------------------------------|--------------------|-----------|--------------------|---------|
| 2014              |            21 |        128 |                77 |                                      148 |                  8 |         2 |                  7 |     391 |
| 2015              |            18 |        248 |               210 |                                      106 |                 13 |        15 |                  4 |     614 |
| 2016 (Till April) |            13 |         70 |                41 |                                       22 |                  3 |         2 |                  8 |     159 |
| TOTAL             |            52 |        446 |               328 |                                      276 |                 24 |        19 |                 19 |    1164 |