Forest Clearance Certificate

Eligibility Criteria for Obtaining Forest Clearance Approval

The key eligibility criteria for obtaining a forest clearance approval are as follows:

• Must explicitly demonstrate the usage of the forest land.
• Must provide a map showing no alternative non-forest land alignment or viable locations.
• Must obtain the necessary Gram Sabha consent of rights under the Forest Rights Act, 2006.
• Must provide an equivalent plan for afforestation or degraded forest land.
• Must make payment for the Net Present Value of the diverted forest.
• Must obtain prior approval from the State/ National Board for Wildlife.

What Common Projects Require a Forest Clearance License?

The user agencies, individuals, companies, PSUs, or government departments proposing the following projects must mandatorily require a forest clearance license. Some of them are as follows:

• Mining and quarrying projects.
• Infrastructure & linear projects.
• Defense & strategic projects.
• Chemical fertilizer industrial projects.
• Petrochemical complexes projects.
• River valley projects.
• Thermal and nuclear power projects.
• Synthetic rubber manufacturing projects.
• Highway-related projects.
• Energy & water resource management projects.
• Township & urban development projects.

Procedure to Obtain MoEF&CC Forest Clearance

The step-by-step procedure to obtain a MoEF&CC forest clearance is as discussed below:

1. Step: Forest Land Mapping & CA Land Identification
   The initial step is to conduct a GIS-based assessment to map the exact forest area and identify non-forest compensatory afforestation land of equivalent or double the diverted area.


2. Step: Documentation Preparation & Collection
   The next step is to start preparing and collecting a detailed documentation checklist, including KML files & cost-benefits analysis for the specified project category.


3. Step: FRA Compliance & Gram Sabha Certification
   In the next step, it is necessary to obtain the FRA compliance certificate and Gram Sabha consent from the District Collector and the Local Panchayat.


4. Step: Online Forest Clearance Application Filing
   Next, it is crucial to file an online forest clearance application form A for fresh forest land diversion, form B for lease renewal, or form C for prospecting minerals directly on the PARIVESH 2.0 portal.


5. Step: State-Level Scrutiny & Forwarding
   In the next step, the application is reviewed by the State Nodal Officer and forwarded to the concerned Divisional Forest Officer and the District Collector for further evaluation.


6. Step: Appraisal by Expert Committee
   Next, the Forest Advisory Committee or the Regional Empowered Committee strictly evaluates the ecological impact and makes relevant recommendations to the competent authorities.


7. Step: Secure Stage I Approval
   The next step toward obtaining stage I in-principle approval is to fulfil the conditions specified in the Stage I letter (including the deposit of NPV, transfer of CA land to the forest department, and other implementation conditions).


8. Step: Obtain Stage-II (Final) Approval
   Once all stage I conditions are fulfilled, the MoEF&CC issues the final forest clearance certificate, thereby authorizing the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.

Types of Forest Department NOC Required in India

In India, the user agencies intending for the diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes can apply for the following types of forest department NOC, as provided below:

• Site & Environmental Clearance NOC: The site & environmental clearance NOC is a preliminary approval required to evaluate environmental impact and site feasibility before any major industrial development.
• Forest Diversion Clearance NOC: Forest diversion clearance is required if a project comprising non-forest activities, such as mining & infrastructure development, falls on designated forest land.
• Tree Felling NOC/ Transit Permission: Trees felling NOC or transit permission is mandatorily required by the user agencies planning to cut or transport trees on non-forest or private land.
• Wildlife Clearance NOC: A wildlife clearance NOC is required if the site is located within or inside the buffer zone of a Wildlife Sanctuary, National Park, or Eco-Sensitive Zone.
• Region-Specific NOC: Region-specific NOCs are additional approvals or compliance certifications required by regional authorities or state-specific regional development boards.
• Forest Rights Act NOC: Forest Rights Act (FRA) NOC is a mandatory approval required to verify and protect the rights of forest-dwelling communities and tribes before the diversion of any forest land.