Online system to cut down environment clearance delays

Ambika Sharma

Tribune News Service

Solan, February 28

In a bid to cut down delays and introduce transparency and accountability in granting environmental clearance, the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has introduced an online system monitored through a centralised server.

Following these directions, an online portal for the district-level environment impact assessment authority and a district-level expert appraisal committee has been developed for Solan district.

The system, apart from providing speedier clearances, will also ensure that undue objections which delayed clearances were not raised by the officials as they will have to be registered in the portal. The ministry officials will also keep a track of the objections raised by district-level committees which were authorised to grant environmental clearance on land measuring less than 5 hectares on January 15, 2016.

As many as 10 cases have been received by the officials ever since this portal was created about 10 days ago. Out of these, three cases involved free sale of sand and seven cases pertained to mining for the purpose of running stone crusher units in various parts of the district.

The approvals for mining activities for running stone crusher units as well as for free sale of minerals in the district were not being granted for the want of environment clearance. These cases had been lying pending ever since they were referred back from the state-level committees in June last year.

The Secretariat of the Member Secretary of DEAC has been established at the office of the mining officer, Solan.

However, lessees, who had earlier applied for such clearances last year, have to re-apply in the online format again.

Assistant geologist Sarit Chander while confirming the news said all old pending cases had been applied in the online format and their cases were being processed. He said small entrepreneurs associated with the mineral industry which included stone crusher units, brick kilns and sand/ stone quarries, would be benefitted by getting the clearance at the district level in a time-bound manner. As per the guidelines, all cases have to be decided within two-month period and they were being examined and will be decided on merit.

Since the process has been made online, those awaiting clearances have heaved a sigh of relief as a time-bound mechanism has been put in place.