The Hindu Business Line : Ministry working on system for monitoring projects compliance

Having come out with a revised system (on September 14) for getting environmental clearance for projects, the Ministry of Environment and Forests is working towards evolving a system for monitoring the projects for compliance, Dr G.V. Subramaniam, Director, MoEF, said at a meeting here. Speaking at a workshop on Re-engineered Process of Environmental Clearance, organised by the Confederation of Indian Industry (CII), Dr Subramaniam said that essentially companies would require to submit compliance reports every half year.

The post-project monitoring "is a separate exercise that the MoEF will undertake as the second part of this re-engineered process," he said.

The workshop was meant to explain to the industry the new norms for environmental clearance and clarify any points. Answering a question on environmental clearance for expansion and modernisation projects or in cases of a change in product mix, Dr Subramaniam said that the company would have to make an application (in Form-1). The Central or State Environment Assessment Committee (EAC) would decide within 60 days whether or not an Environmental Impact Assessment and a public hearing were needed. He said that the Government recognised the industry's concern that the 60-day waiting period might be too long. Stressing that if the application was complete there was no reason why the Ministry would take 60 days to give its decision, Dr Subramaniam said that the Government would nevertheless "address the issue appropriately in the guidance manual."

Explaining the features of the new notification for getting ECs, he pointed out that the new system de-linked quantum of investment and the need for obtaining a clearance. The emphasis was on the impact of the project on the environment, rather than on the quantum of investment. In making the application for an EC, the project proponent need not furnish a No Objection Certificate from the State Pollution Control Board (unlike earlier). The NoC, essentially a `consent to establish' under the Air and Water Act, was a parallel activity and not linked to the central EC, Dr Subramaniam said.

The new rules also divided industrial activities into A, B1 and B2 categories and prescribed the competent authority for granting the clearance for each.

In order that the consultants doing the Environmental Impact Assessment did not ask for unnecessary details, the new rules provided for `scoping'— fixing of terms of reference. Further, the new rules fixed timelines for holding public hearing by the state Pollution Control Boards. In case of a delay, the MoEF could intervene and mandate an agency to conduct the public hearing. But the points raised at public hearings would necessarily have to be a part of the EIA report.

Dr Subramaniam said that basically there were four steps involved in getting a EC from the Ministry— screening of application to find out whether a EIA was needed, `scoping', public hearing and detailed assessment by the Central or State environmental assessment committee.

A point was made that the application of project proponent had to specify the land on which the project was coming up. On the other hand, the company would buy the land only if it got the EC. On this Catch-22 situation, Dr Subramaniam advised companies not to buy the land "unless you are reasonably sure that the project will come up on the land."

More Stories on : Environment | New Projects | Industry Associations

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page