Lok Sabha Question No. 121 (STARRED), answered on 2015-07-28
Subject: No-Go Zone
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## 1 LOK SABHA

## 2 STARRED QUESTION NO. 121

## 3 TO BE ANSWERED ON 28.07.2015

**No-Go Zone**

***121. SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN:**

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

1. whether the Government proposes to notify 'No-go zone' in the country and if so, the details thereof;
2. whether the Government has assessed the likely impact of the said notification on the livelihood of the people living therein and if so, the details and the outcome thereof; and
3. whether 85 types of high polluting activities, including setting up of Aluminium smelter, cement plant etc., are likely to be excluded from the Ecologically Sensitive Area (ESA) and if so, the details thereof?

**ANSWER**

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

(SHRI PRAKASH JAVADEKAR)

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

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**STATEMENT REFERRED TO IN REPLY TO PARTS (a) TO (c) OF THE LOK SABHA STARRED QUESTION NO. 121 BY SHRI A. ARUNMOZHITHEVAN REGARDING ‘NO-GO ZONE’ DUE FOR REPLY ON 28.07.2015**

| (a) &  (b)   | A Group of Ministers (GoM) constituted to consider the environmental and developmental issues relating to coal mining and other development projects, in its fifth meeting held under Chairmanship of the then Finance Minister on 20  th  September 2011 suggested that identified pristine forest areas where any mining activity would lead to irreversible damage to the forests should be barred from any kind of non-forest activity instead of the ‘Go-No-Go Area’ approach being followed heretofore.  The GoM further suggested that all such forests which can never be regenerated to the desired quality should be protected. The GoM also suggested that a committee comprising experts in the field can be constituted to identify such forests.  Accordingly, a committee under Chairmanship of Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has been constituted to formulate draft parameters for identification of inviolate forest areas where no mining activity may be allowed.  The Central Government has not assessed the likely impact of such notification on livelihood of people living therein. However, keeping in view that only mining activities are proposed to be prohibited in the inviolate forest areas, livelihood activities of people living in such areas are not likely to be affected.   |
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| (c)          | The regulation of activities in any Eco-Sensitive Area are notified based on the sensitivity of the area and impacts assessed to be dealt on case to case basis. The activities to be excluded or controlled are listed in the respective notification.                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                                               |

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