Environment ministry relaxes mining procedure

Even as the government claims of making environmental norms stricter in the near future, the environment ministry has gone ahead and relaxed the mining procedure.

In a major decision that would make mining activities across the country easier, the ministry has exempted mining companies from seeking environmental clearances at the time of renewal of their leases.

"After due consideration and examination of relevant judicial pronouncements and the OMs (office memorandums) issued in this regards, it is clarified that the project proponent, which has a valid and subsisting EC (environmental clearance) for their mining project either under EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) Notification 1994 or EIA Notification 2006, will not be required to obtain a fresh EC at the time of renewal of the lease," the environment ministry said in an office memorandum issued on March 20.

Under the EIA Notification 2006 that requires prior environmental clearances for certain category of projects, the clearances for mining projects remains valid up to a period of 30 years. However, the government's latest order has come under severe criticism from environmentalists for "encouraging mining" across the country. According to environmental lawyer Rahul Choudhary, who is contending several cases of mining in the National Green Tribunal and various high courts, such an order would spell disaster for the ecology in mining states.

Hitting out at the 30-year-long validity of an environment clearance, Choudhary said, "The clause holds hardly any sense and has no meaning in today's context when natural resources of the country are under tremendous strain. Thirty years is an unusually long period, especially for an activity like mining, which has quick and visible effects on an area's ecology."

"Even in five years, the ecology of a place alters drastically and it changes altogether in 10 years. So the ecological effects of mining need to be appraised every five years, and at the time of renewal of their leases, to ascertain whether mining in such an area is feasible or not (any more)," he said.

The latest order comes following the government reinstating environmental clearances of Goa's 72 mines, which were revoked by the UPA government in September 2012.

(In association with Mail Today Bureau)