The National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) on Wednesday moved the Supreme Court seeking modification of its guidelines mandating forest clearance prior to environmental clearance, saying the related procedures have delayed and stalled 22 important projects worth over R20,000 crore.

The highway authority has also sought a direction to the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to modify its office memoranda (OM) of March and April 2011 so as to delink the two clearances in respect of widening of national highways.

20 Highway Contracts Stuck Due To Red Tape Over Environmental Norms

New Delhi: The National Highways Authority of India has decided to approach the Supreme Court against the environment ministry’s norms as a series of projects are held up due to green clearances. While infrastructure major GMR has already announced its exit from Rs 7,500 crore highway project, there are at least 20 highways contracts — each worth over Rs 1,000 crore — that have been awarded by NHAI but there fate remains unclear as the environment ministry is sitting over forest clearances. The projects have cleared one hurdle of getting environmental approvals but work cannot start until a green signal on the forest side is also received.

NHAI likely to take ministry to SC today for ‘failing to comply with delinking order’

The tussle between the environment ministry and the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) over who caused the alleged delays in approvals in highway projects came to a head on Tuesday with the NHAI threatening to take the ministry to the Supreme Court on Wednesday, accusing it of failure to comply with an earlier court directive to de-link forest and environmental clearances.

JAMMU: The Committee on Environment of Legislative Assembly has enjoined upon central and state construction agencies to ensure strict implementation of various labour welfare laws besides following environment norms while executing the ambitious 4-lanning project of Srinagar - Jammu National Highway.

The Committee, which met here this afternoon under the chairmanship of MLA, M Y Tarigami, stressed for strict implementation of Workmen's Compensation Act, Payment of Wages Act and Employees Provident Fund, which was imperative for generating interest among the labourers engaged in the execution of the projects.

A Few days after the GMR Group announced its intent to walk out of the 555-km long Kishangarh-Ahmedabad highway, the GVK Group has informed the National Highway Authority of India (NHAI) that it wishes to exit the 330-km long Shivpuri-Dewas highway in Madhya Pradesh. GVK had promised to pay NHAI a little under R3,000 crore (on an NPV basis, using a 10% annual discount) for the highway it was four-laning, over a period of 30 years — starting with a payment of R190 crore in the first year, the payment was to be escalated by 5% in each subsequent year.

Govt keen on ensuring fuel security doesn’t come in way of growth revival plans

Concerned that fuel scarcity could hamper plans to revive economic growth, the government is planning to further relax green clearance norms for mining projects. Coal mining operations, which are stuck due to delays in forest clearance, may now get approvals on fast-track basis from the environment ministry even if less than 50% of the population of affected villages give their nod for the project.

Environment ministry had exempted some mining projects from public hearings

The environment ministry’s latest relaxation of green norms for expansion of projects in the mining sector is set to lead to an annual rise of 45 million tonnes (mt) in Coal India Ltd’s (CIL) production. In a notification issued last month, the ministry had exempted all mining projects seeking capacity expansion of up to 25 per cent from local public hearings. The move is aimed at reducing delays in green clearances.

Upset over the failure of the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) to frame forest clearance norms as directed by the Supreme Court and the resultant delays in road projects, the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) is planing to take up the matter with the court afresh. The authority’s move comes after it secured a favourable opinion from both the law ministry and the Cabinet secretariat, official sources told FE.

Delays in environmental approvals — usually attributed to the existing policy of linking the same to forest clearances — and procedural issues have affected implementation of national highway projects worth R23,000 crore. This is at a time the Prime Minister’s Office and finance ministry are asking all wings of the government to make concerted efforts to speed up infrastructure projects to accelerate economic growth.