Ministry Safeguards Eco-Sensitive Zones with 43 Project Approvals

In a statement to the Rajya Sabha, Union Minister Ashwini Choubey disclosed that the Centre has provided environmental clearance to over 80% of proposals for "projects and activities" within the eco-sensitive zones (ESZs) of India in the last five years. He further revealed that the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL) suggested a total of 689 proposals during this timeframe.

The minister emphasized that the Ministry of Environment sanctioned 43 out of 53 proposals received over the past five years for "projects/activities" in the standard eco-sensitive zones (ESZs), in accordance with the provisions of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006. ESZs are demarcated as environmentally delicate areas within 10 kilometers of the boundaries of protected areas, including national parks and wildlife sanctuaries.

Government data illustrates that SCNBWL recommended 153 proposals in 2018-19, 71 in 2019-20, 85 in 2020-21, 149 in 2021-22, and 231 in 2022-23.

News by Rahul Yelligetti