MoEF eases green norms for big bldgs In a major simplification of rules, the building construction industry will no longer need to make trips to Delhi for environmental clearances (EC). This means a huge saving in terms of time, money and human resources spent on following up clearances for projects in Delhi. In a notification issued late last month, the Union ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) said that for all constructions above 2 lakh sq feet the general conditions of the Environment Notification, 2006, will not apply. Similarly it will not apply to townships and area development projects. The general conditions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, applied to areas classified as eco-sensitive areas, critically polluted areas, inter-state boundaries and international boundaries. Eco-sensitive areas are a buffer zone spread over a radius of 10 km around national parks, wildlife sanctuaries and protected areas. The Sanjay Gandhi National Park is a protected area and on December 3, the MoEF had issued a notification that all proposed projects, whole or in part within the 10-km radius of such areas will need a nod from the National Wildlife Board. Sources said even for the clearance from the NWLB, developers will not have to make a trip to Delhi. Now project proposals need to be submitted to the State Environment Appraisal Committee -2 (SEAC-2) that scruti nises all projects in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region. If it feels that a clearance from the NWLB is necessary, it will forward the proposal to the Board. Once the clearance is obtained, the proposal will then go before the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for the final EC. The notification has all together exempted, schools, colleges, hostels for educational purposes and industrial sheds from seeking an EC even from the state authority. This, provided that they ensure sustainable environmental management of liquid and solid waste. Sources, however, said the MoEF is yet to re-constitute the SEAC-2. The Times of India
Posted on: Sat, 17 Jan 2015 05:38:59 +0000
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