Environment ministry realizes it can reject shoddy EIAs
the Union ministries for power and environment have locked horns over new hydroelectric and thermal power projects. In a meeting held in the first week of September, officials of the power ministry demanded speedy clearances for their projects. Environment ministry officials refused this, saying the projects will not be cleared if their environmental impact assessments (eias ) are faulty.
Earlier, environment minister Jairam Ramesh wrote a letter to power minister Sushil Kumar Shinde saying developers conduct eias in a very casual way.The letter dated June 30 said three public sector undertakings in particular--National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (nhpc), North Eastern Electric Power Corporation (neepco) and Satluj Jal Vidyut Nigam Limited--did not show environmental sensitivity while planning projects. Hydroelectric projects on critical rivers would not be cleared till they are comprehensively assessed for their impact on the environment, the letter said.
The power ministry's demand to fasttrack clearances follows the latest Comptroller and Auditor General (cag) report that blamed lengthy environment clearance processes for slowing power projects in the Northeast. The spur came from a report of the Central Electricity Authority; it said the power ministry will have to get all environmental clearances by September next year to meet the 12th five-year plan targets (2012-2017).
| Speed up clearances | Get efficient first | |
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