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A day after the Supreme Court set a March 31 deadline for establishing an environment regulator, the government said it was examining the order to work out how to proceed.

The environment ministry was unwilling to disclose its plan of action. However, officials indicated that the government would be able to provide just the broad contours of the proposed regulator within the two-month timeframe given by the Supreme Court.

The Supreme Court on Monday directed the government to set up within three months a national environment regulator with the power to appraise and clear projects.

The regulator would be created under Section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, for appraising projects, enforcing environmental conditions and to impose penalties on polluters, the court said.

New Delhi : The Supreme Court on Monday asked the ministry of environment and forests to set up a national environment regulator with offices in every state to “appraise and monitor” the process for granting green clearances and how the regulations are complied with.

Industry expects the move to make the process, now fraught with uncertainties and huge delays, more transparent and efficient. At present, more than 4,600 proposals are pending with the forest advisory committee (FAC) for final clearance.

A key environmental panel has recommended clearance for two hydel power projects in the Siang river valley in Arunachal Pradesh.

The two projects—Simang I and II totalling 133 MW—are located on the Simang, the right bank tributary of the Siang River. Projects in the Siang river basin are viewed as strategically important on account of the border with China. Adishankar Power Pvt Ltd is the project developer.

A nuclear power plant proposed to be set up in Haryana is one step short of getting the green clearance with a high-level panel of the environment ministry giving conditional nod.

The decision to recommend green clearance to the Nuclear Power Corporation of India Ltd (NPCIL) proposal for setting up a Rs 23,502 crore nuclear power plant in Fatehabad district was taken at a recent meeting of expert appraisal committee on environmental appraisal of nuclear power projects, official sources said.

UltraTech Cement's plant and 75-megawatt (Mw) captive power plant, with an investment of Rs 2,500 crore, have received approval from the expert appraisal committee under the ministry of environment

A committee under the ministry of environment and forests has given coastal regulation zone (CRZ) clearance to Indian Oil Corporation for setting up a 5-million-tonne LNG terminal at Ennore in Tamil Nadu.

The Expert Appraisal Committee, which met last month, said all the issues raised in the public hearing held in September were addressed by the PSU.

Shiv Sena threatens to explore legal course of action against nod

The Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) attached to the Union ministry of environment and forests (MOEF) has accorded conditional environment clearance to Tata Power for converting the latter’s 500-Mw Trombay power plant to operate on coal, in place of low sulphur fuel and heavy stock.

The Expert Appraisal Committee for River Valley and Hydro Electric Project (EAC), formed by the Union ministry of environment and forests, has said the 120 MW Lower Kopili dam project, planned in A

VISL will soon invite requests for qualification for EPC contract, says Minister

The Expert Appraisal Committee of the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests for projects relating to infrastructure development and Coastal Regulation Zone has recommended the accordance of environmental clearance for the Rs.5,000-crore deepwater container transhipment port proposed to be set up at Vizhinjam, near here.

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