Enable Block: 

Environment clearance for minor minerals received from District Authorities (Stone / Murum Quarrying): minutes of the 70th meeting of the Maharashtra State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) held on 24th to 26th April, 2013.

SmartCity Kochi has failed to secure environment clearance within 45 days as declared by Chief Minister Oommen Chandy on January 31. The company has not even filed a fresh application for environment clearance.

The Hindu had reported on January 30 that the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) had deferred its recommendation for environmental clearance for the first phase of the project.

The State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) has decided not to grant environmental clearance to any proposals coming under the Ecologically Sensitive Zone-1 of the Western Ghats.

The decision comes in the wake of a direction issued by the National Green Tribunal that the recommendations of the Western Ghats Ecology Expert Panel (WGEEP) report should be considered while granting environmental clearance to projects in the ESZ-1 in the Western Ghats. ESZ-I areas are those which fall outside the boundaries of wildlife sanctuaries and reserve forests but have been given the status of a protected area in the WGEEP report.

The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has deferred its recommendation for environmental clearance to the first phase of the SmartCity Kochi project based on the inference that “the proposal submitted by the proponent had many factual errors and lacked a specific plan of environmental management”.

Stating that the SEAC had expressed its displeasure in drafting the ambitious project of the State government in such a very casual manner, sources told The Hindu that the promoter has failed to seriously consider many of the environmental factors while drafting the proposal.

Giving a boost to what will be the first major cluster redevelopment project to take off in the city, the state-level expert panel has decided to recommend the Bhendi Bazaar proposal for environmental clearance.

The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) screens proposals for construction projects spread over 20,000 sq m and recommends them for clearance to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The latter, headed by the environment secretary, will now accord approval to Bhendi Bazaar redevelopment, which will be spread over a plot of 66,264.74 sq m.

IVRCL proposed to undertake mining at two places in Sonebhadra District on river bed of the river Son

The Ministry of Environment and Forest has rejected infrastructure giant IVRCL Ltd's two sand mining projects in Uttar Pradesh due to improper documentation of mining area and environmental issues. IVRCL proposed to undertake sand/Moram mining at two places in Sonebhadra District on river bed of the river Son, a major river in central India. "Based on the information furnished and presentation made before the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for mining project, the committee recommended the rejection of proposal ...," the EAC said in its order.

Environment and Forests Ministry panel stipulates 8 conditions

After three years, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) has granted environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) clearance for the establishment of a captive jetty for the 4,000 MW Ultra Mega Thermal Power Project at Cheyyur in Kancheepuram district. Stipulating eight conditions, the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) on CRZ clearances has finally given the nod for the captive jetty at Panayiyur for handling coal to be imported for the plant. The jetty will be located five km away from the project site.

As per the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, prior environmental clearance is mandatory for projects listed in its schedule.

Pages