Over 230 projects got environmentclearance by the Union ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) since May 2014 and of those nearly 23%, over one fifth of total, were from Gujarat alone. However, as per MoEF's data, over 320 projects are still awaiting clearance from the ministry. As many as 73 projects were cleared from January 2013 to December 2013.
Since May 2014 to November 20, a total of 232 projects got environment clearancefrom MoEF and of those highest number of projects, 52, were from Gujarat followed by Andhra Pradesh with 33 projects, Maharashtra with 19, Madhya Pradesh with 18 and Rajasthan with 15 projects. The 52 Gujarat projects included Nirma's industrial project for expansion facility at Nirma Chemical Complex in Bhavanagar Gujarat. It had got TOR in October 2010 and finally got the environment clearance in August 2014.
Another major project was Adani Port and SEZ Limited's project in Kutch. It had sought clearance for a multi-product SEZ and CRZ clearance for desalination, sea water intake, outfall facility and pipeline at Mundra area. The project got clearance in July 2014. Both projects were worth several thousands of crores of rupees.
Adani's Port and SEZ project was even rapped in 2013 a committee by a formed by MoEF for violating environmental clearance conditions and had recommended a fund for mitigating the damage. The panel had asked fund to be worth one per cent of the project cost (including the cost of the thermal power plant), or Rs 200 crore, whichever was higher. It had also concluded that there has been widespread destruction of mangroves — 75 hectares of mangroves — which was declared as a conservation zone under the environmental clearance conditions.
In run upto 2014 elections, prime minister Narendra Modi had said that they would simplify green clearances for industry to kick start India's growth. Industry had repeatedly complained that delay in green clearances was making their projects unviable.
Meanwhile, the MoEF data till October 30, 2014 shows that at least 326 projects are still pending with the environment ministry for want of environment clearance. Of those 326 projects, at least 33 projects are pending in Tamil Nadu alone which is highest across India. Tamil Nadu is followed by 25 in Andhra Pradesh, 24 in Himachal Pradesh, 23 in Rajasthan, 21 in Odisha and Jharkhand with 20 projects. They were followed by West Bengal, Karnataka and Maharashtra with 19 projects each. 14 projects from Gujarat are waiting for clearance.
If looked sector-wise, projects pending with environment ministry for environment clearance, industrial sectors leads all with 141 pending projects. It is followed by mining (coal and non-coal) with around 132 projects and of those 132 projects 46 were related tocoal mining alone. Third sector on the list is river valley and hydro-electric sector with 29 projects.
As far as forest clearances are concerned, a total of 138 projects are pending for want of forest clearance. Of those 138, highest are related to mining sector with 58 projects and that is followed by 50 pending projects of the infrastructure sector.
