{"id":53051,"date":"2023-03-04T17:08:33","date_gmt":"2023-03-04T11:38:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/?p=53051"},"modified":"2023-04-11T12:40:09","modified_gmt":"2023-04-11T07:10:09","slug":"why-is-environmental-clearance-needed","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/","title":{"rendered":"Why Is Environmental Clearance Needed?"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<p>As the planet faces climate change and other environmental issues, we cannot put our world at stake for our interests. So the government has taken a step forward to minimize and mitigate the problems related to the proposed or existing project. As the assessment is completed, the report should be given to all stakeholders for suggestions. Then the project proponent can implement the mitigation measures in the information to avoid risk and damage to human health and personal property. <strong><a class=\"text-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/environmental-clearance\">Environmental clearance<\/a><\/strong> is required for the industries and projects that supposedly damage the environment and living species in one way or another. It serves as legal consent for industries that are unfriendly to the environment. It has been made compulsory under Environment Protection Act 1986. The laws and regulations applicable at the time of environmental clearance are.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>The Environmental (Protection)\nAct, 1986, amended 1991<\/li><li>The Environmental (Protection)\nRules, 1986<\/li><li>EIA Notification, 2006<\/li><li>Forest Clearance\nas per Forest (Conservation) Act 1980&nbsp;<\/li><li>Wildlife\nClearance (NBWL) as per Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972&nbsp;<\/li><li>CRZ (Coastal\nRegulation Zone) Rules.&nbsp;&nbsp;<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<div id=\"ez-toc-container\" class=\"ez-toc-v2_0_82_2 counter-hierarchy ez-toc-counter ez-toc-grey ez-toc-container-direction\">\n<div class=\"ez-toc-title-container\">\n<p class=\"ez-toc-title ez-toc-toggle\" style=\"cursor:pointer\">Page Contents<\/p>\n<span class=\"ez-toc-title-toggle\"><a href=\"#\" class=\"ez-toc-pull-right ez-toc-btn ez-toc-btn-xs ez-toc-btn-default ez-toc-toggle\" aria-label=\"Toggle Table of Content\"><span class=\"ez-toc-js-icon-con\"><span class=\"\"><span class=\"eztoc-hide\" style=\"display:none;\">Toggle<\/span><span class=\"ez-toc-icon-toggle-span\"><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" class=\"list-377408\" width=\"20px\" height=\"20px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" fill=\"none\"><path d=\"M6 6H4v2h2V6zm14 0H8v2h12V6zM4 11h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2zM4 16h2v2H4v-2zm16 0H8v2h12v-2z\" fill=\"currentColor\"><\/path><\/svg><svg style=\"fill: #999;color:#999\" class=\"arrow-unsorted-368013\" xmlns=\"http:\/\/www.w3.org\/2000\/svg\" width=\"10px\" height=\"10px\" viewBox=\"0 0 24 24\" version=\"1.2\" baseProfile=\"tiny\"><path d=\"M18.2 9.3l-6.2-6.3-6.2 6.3c-.2.2-.3.4-.3.7s.1.5.3.7c.2.2.4.3.7.3h11c.3 0 .5-.1.7-.3.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7zM5.8 14.7l6.2 6.3 6.2-6.3c.2-.2.3-.5.3-.7s-.1-.5-.3-.7c-.2-.2-.4-.3-.7-.3h-11c-.3 0-.5.1-.7.3-.2.2-.3.5-.3.7s.1.5.3.7z\"\/><\/svg><\/span><\/span><\/span><\/a><\/span><\/div>\n<nav><ul class='ez-toc-list ez-toc-list-level-1 eztoc-toggle-hide-by-default' ><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-1\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Benefits_of_Obtaining_Environmental_Clearance\" >Benefits of Obtaining Environmental Clearance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-2\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Who_Gives_Environmental_Clearance\" >Who Gives Environmental Clearance?<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-3\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Process_Involved_In_Environmental_Clearance\" >Process Involved In Environmental Clearance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-4\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Permissions_and_NOCs_required_for_Environment_Clearance\" >Permissions and NOCs required for Environment Clearance<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-5\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Importance_of_Public_Hearing\" >Importance of Public Hearing<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-6\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Importance_of_EC_Certification_for_the_Identified_Sector\" >Importance of EC Certification for the Identified Sector<\/a><\/li><li class='ez-toc-page-1 ez-toc-heading-level-2'><a class=\"ez-toc-link ez-toc-heading-7\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/why-is-environmental-clearance-needed\/#Conclusion\" >Conclusion<\/a><\/li><\/ul><\/nav><\/div>\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Benefits_of_Obtaining_Environmental_Clearance\"><\/span>Benefits of Obtaining Environmental Clearance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>The\nbenefits of Environmental Clearance in a proposed\/existing project are knowing\nthe details of the project and what risk factors are involved that may damage\nthe ecosystem. It helps to run the project eco-friendly and mitigate its\nassociated risk.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Improved Environmental\nPerformance<\/li><li>Enhanced Compliance <\/li><li>Pollution Prevention<\/li><li>Resource Conservation<\/li><li>New Customers\/Markets<\/li><li>Increased Efficiency\/Reduced Cost<\/li><li>Enhanced Employees Safety<\/li><li>Enhanced image with the public,\nregulators, lenders and investors<\/li><li>Employee&#8217;s awareness of\nenvironmental issues and responsibilities<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Who_Gives_Environmental_Clearance\"><\/span>Who Gives Environmental Clearance?<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Environmental Clearance (EC) for a specific project has been made compulsory by<strong> <\/strong>the<strong> MoEF<sup><a class=\"text-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/moef.gov.in\/en\/\"><strong>[1]<\/strong><\/a><\/sup> <\/strong>(Ministry of Environment &amp; Forests), as per its notification released under the norms of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Environmental Clearance projects are\nof two types: <\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Group A (National level)&nbsp; <\/li><li>Category B (State level) <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>The agency involved in category A\nprojects are Impact Assessment Agency and EAC (Expert Appraisal Committee) and\nfor category B Projects, the State Level Environment Impact Assessment\nAuthority (SEIAA) and the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Stakeholders Involved In The Process Of Environmental Clearance<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Project Proponent<\/li><li>The Environmental Consultant who\nprepares EIA on behalf of the project proponent<\/li><li>Pollution Control Board (State or\nNational)<\/li><li>The public can express their\nopinion in Public Hearing<\/li><li>The Impact Assessment Agency<\/li><li>A regional center of the MoEF&amp;CC<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Process_Involved_In_Environmental_Clearance\"><\/span>Process Involved In Environmental Clearance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Environmental\nclearance is required for 39 projects. In these projects, only some get EC\ndirectly. Still, a few projects need EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment)\nreporting to analyses the project in detail if the project is going to hamper\nthe environment. <\/p>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Environmental Impact Assessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>UNEP defines Environmental Impact\nAssessment as a tool used to\nidentify a project&#8217;s environmental, social and economic impacts before\ndecision-making. It aims to predict environmental impacts early in project\nplanning and design, find ways to reduce the harmful impacts, and shape the\nprojects to suit the nearby environment, and present the predictions and\noptions to decision-makers.<\/li><li>The\nMinistry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&amp;CC) notified EIA\nlegislation in September 2006.<\/li><li>The\nnotification makes it compulsory\/mandatory for various projects such as thermal\npower plants, mining, river valley, infrastructure (roads, highways, harbors,\nports and airports) and industries, including small electroplating or foundry\nunits, to get environmental clearance.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Social Impact Assessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>It is a process for identifying,\nanalysing, assessing, managing and monitoring a project&#8217;s potential positive\nand negative impacts.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">EMP (Environmental Management\nPlan)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>It consists of the mitigation,\nmonitoring, and institutional measures to be taken in the starting phase of the\nproject or in its operational phase to eliminate the risk and adverse\nenvironmental and social impacts to reduce the risk or to eliminate. <\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Risk\nAssessment<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li><strong><a class=\"text-primary\" href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/risk-assessment\">Risk Assessment<\/a><\/strong> identifies and assesses the risks to the people participating in the project and the public living nearby the project area. It helps to identify and mitigate risks by finding alternatives.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Wildlife\nConservation Plan<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>To provide a stress-free\nenvironment to wildlife in the project area or impact area and makes sure to\nmeet the basic requirements of the resident wildlife.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Consent\nto Establishment (CTE) and Consent to Operate (CTO)<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Consent to the establishment\ncertificate is required before the construction of the project.<\/li><li>Consent to Operate is obtained\nafter the plant or the project is established according to the mandatory\npollution control system.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h3 class=\"wp-block-heading\">Hydrological\nSurvey Report<\/h3>\n\n\n\n<p>Hydrogeological survey reports have been conducted in the study area to understand the local geology, geomorphology, drains network, aquifer qualities, and well yield and ensure that the project does not harm the water bodies. The protection of natural resources and freshwater is crucial.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Permissions_and_NOCs_required_for_Environment_Clearance\"><\/span>Permissions and NOCs required for Environment Clearance<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table table table-bordered\"><tbody><tr><td>\n  S.No.\n  <\/td><td>\n  NOCs\n  required pre-approval of EC\n  <\/td><td>\n  Permissions\n  required post approval of EC\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  1\n  <\/td><td>\n  Forest Clearance as per Forest\n  (Conservation) Act 1980&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  CTE\n  (Consent to Establishment)\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  2\n  <\/td><td>\n  Wildlife Clearance (NBWL) as per\n  Wildlife (Protection) Act 1972&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  CTO\n  (Consent to Operate)\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  3\n  <\/td><td>\n  CRZ (Coastal Regulation Zone)\n  Clearance as per issued notification 2011&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Certified\n  half-yearly EC Compliance by RO\/IRO\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  4\n  <\/td><td>\n  Central Ground Water Authority\n  (CGWA) NOC&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  Green\n  building certification (Voluntary)\n  &nbsp;\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  5\n  <\/td><td>\n  Fire NOC&nbsp;<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>   <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>   &#8211;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  6\n  <\/td><td>\n  Forest Certificate showing the distance from the\n  project boundary<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>   <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>   &#8211;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  7\n  <\/td><td>\n  Airport NOC from AAI for height clearance\n  surrounding the airport<strong><\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>   <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>   &#8211;<\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  8\n  <\/td><td>\n  Clearance from NHAI&nbsp;\n  <\/td><td>   <strong>&nbsp;<\/strong>   &#8211;<\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importance_of_Public_Hearing\"><\/span>Importance of Public Hearing <span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Public hearing is a key component of Environmental Impact assessment for obtaining EC. This has be conducted as per the guideline to make sure the project have not any harmful impacts on the environment and socio-economic culture.<\/li><li>In a Public hearing, the committee and the adjacent public would participate and suggest mitigating measures that would be consider<\/li><li>ed. The project&#8217;s employment generation capacity is also ascertained.<\/li><li>Public comments should be considered in the public hearing to reduce the chances of conflict later in the project clearance stage.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Importance_of_EC_Certification_for_the_Identified_Sector\"><\/span>Importance of EC Certification for the Identified Sector<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<ul><li>Environmental clearance is required in almost 39 sectors for the execution and operation of their businesses. With the certificate, one can proceed with the project if the EC is required in that particular sector because EC is a mandatory certification for the sound management of Environmental impacts.<\/li><li>The consultant helps get the EC certificate and the Environmental Impact Assessment reporting.<\/li><\/ul>\n\n\n\n<table class=\"wp-block-table table table-bordered\"><tbody><tr><td>\n  <strong>Type of Project<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Earlier EC validity\n  (Years) (A)<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Further extendable for\n  (Years) (B)<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Increased EC validity\n  (Years) (C)<\/strong>\n  <\/td><td>\n  <strong>Further extendable for\n  (Years) (D)<\/strong>\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  River\n  valley projects\n  <\/td><td>\n  10\n  <\/td><td>\n  3\n  <\/td><td>\n  13\n  <\/td><td>\n  2\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Nuclear\n  Projects\n  <\/td><td>\n  7\n  <\/td><td>\n  3\n  <\/td><td>\n  15\n  <\/td><td>\n  5\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Projects\n  other than River valley, Nuclear and Mining Projects\n  <\/td><td>\n  7\n  <\/td><td>\n  3\n  <\/td><td>\n  30 (Subject to adequacy of EIA\/EMP to be\n  reviewed every 5 years after 30 years)\n  <\/td><td>\n  1\n  <\/td><\/tr><tr><td>\n  Mining\n  Projects\n  <\/td><td>\n  30\n  <\/td><td>   &nbsp;   &#8211;<\/td><td>   &nbsp;   &#8211;<\/td><td>\n  20\n  <\/td><\/tr><\/tbody><\/table>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading\"><span class=\"ez-toc-section\" id=\"Conclusion\"><\/span>Conclusion<span class=\"ez-toc-section-end\"><\/span><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p>Environmental clearance is required for projects or industries that have the potential to damage the environment and living species. It serves as legal consent for projects that fall under this, which are not environment-friendly. It has been made compulsory under Environment (P) Act 1986 and involves 39 projects while requiring EC for all the mentioned projects. However, the EC process needs expert advice and assistance to ensure your project is environmentally friendly. Environmental professionals and consultants can help you get the certification and reduce the chances of refusal of clearance.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Also Read<\/strong>: <br><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/environmental-risk-at-the-stage-of-site-selection\/\">Environmental Risk At The Stage Of Site Selection<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/types-of-environmental-impact-assessment\/\">Types Of Environmental Impact Assessment\n<\/a><br><a href=\"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/environmental-clearance-process-in-india\/\">Environmental Clearance Process In India: A Complete Outlook<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>As the planet faces climate change and other environmental issues, we cannot put our world at stake for our interests. So the government has taken a step forward to minimize and mitigate the problems related to the proposed or existing project. As the assessment is completed, the report should be given to all stakeholders for [&hellip;]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":61,"featured_media":53052,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":[],"categories":[3185],"tags":[2194],"acf":{"service_id":"571"},"authorName":"Noopur Raj","authorImageUrl":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-content\/uploads\/2023\/03\/MicrosoftTeams-image-3.png11.jpg","authorDescription":"Noopur is an experienced operations professional with a Postgraduate Degree from BHU with specialisation in Environmental Science and Technology and graduation in Biotechnology. After working as as an Intern at CPCB and CSIR\u2013NEERI, Noopur gained vast work experience in Industrial waste management and EPR regime for plastic.","postViews":5410,"readingTime":5,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53051"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/61"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=53051"}],"version-history":[{"count":8,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53051\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":54889,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/53051\/revisions\/54889"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/53052"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=53051"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=53051"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/corpbiz.io\/learning\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=53051"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}