E-Paper
State bodies to grant green nod for civilian airport expansions
The notification has delegated environmental appraisal of various non-coal mining projects, river valley projects and thermal power projects to the state appraisal body saying the environmental clearance process needs to be decentralised for facilitating environmental clearances at the state level.
Environmental clearance for all airport expansion projects including airstrips for commercial use will be considered by the state environment impact assessment authorities (SIEAAs), as per a notification issued by the environment ministry on April 20 in a move that is expected to give states greater leeway in approving these projects.
The notification has also delegated environmental appraisal of various non-coal mining projects, river valley projects and thermal power projects to the state appraisal body saying that the environmental clearance process needs to be decentralised for facilitating environmental clearances at the state level.
While these were already being considered by SEIAAs, the capacity threshold up to which these projects can be considered at the state level has been increased significantly in the draft notification. For example, SEIAAs used to consider mining leases involving less than 100 hectares. This has been increased to the entire mining lease area in respect of minor mineral mining leases and a maximum of 250 hectares for major mineral mining leases other than for coal. Minor minerals mean building stones, gravel, ordinary clay, ordinary sand etc while major minerals while major minerals include coal, iron ore, manganese etc.
In another major change, all projects related to defence, strategic or security projects, even those that are in category B (designated to be appraised by state authorities) will now come under purview of the Centre, a change that is expected to give powers to Centre to decide on most defence projects across the country.
The notification acknowledges that “SEIAAs have gained substantial experience over the past 15 years, and the process at the State level has also been made completely online through the Parivesh portal for efficient and transparent disposal of environmental clearance proposals”.
As for the defence projects, it explains that the clearances for these are being centralised on account of “national security concerns.”
It adds that strategic projects or even those notified by the Centre to promote “environmentally friendly” activities under national programmes and missions which are inordinately delayed can be considered at the central level.
On April 11, the ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) issued a draft notification stating that some highway projects near the borders are sensitive in nature and hence need to be exempted from the requirement of seeking an environment clearance (EC). Instead, the draft prescribed environmental safeguards for self-compliance by project developers. The draft notification also sought to completely do away with the need for EC for expansion of airport terminal buildings.
“SEIAAs did not deal with airport expansion earlier. Now the job of clearing airport expansions and other projects have been delegated to them. But defence projects even at the state level can be considered by the Centre,” explained a senior official of MoEFCC who asked not to be named.
“The changes indicate that both central and state government are staking control over airport projects which are no longer limited to aviation. Many of these have commercial real estate components to attract investment. What is also significant is that in recent years changes to environment regulation have totally drawn away their attention from unrealised promises of employment or rehabilitation, ongoing resource and legacy of environmental impacts all of which come to bear on any upcoming projects in an area, whether new or expansion. Many of these are what are what may land up being labelled as roadblocks,” said Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher, Centre for Policy Research.
“By assuming responsibility of appraising defence projects, the environment ministry will not just have to ensure that regulatory procedures are adhered to but the state government’s role is not compromised. Most of these projects are located in ecological and politically fragile areas and extra care will need to be taken by institutions responsible for enforcing laws,” added Kohli.
