Govt may relax environment clearance norms for coal projs

The government is understood to be considering a proposal to do away with the mandatory public hearing for environment clearances to certain coal expansion projects.

Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh is believed to have assured Coal Minister Sriprakash Jaiswal that necessary changes in the existing regulations regarding public hearing for grant of environment clearances would be made.

"Environment Minister assured that necessary amendment to existing instructions would be issued by MoEF stating that no public hearing would be required for expansion projects of coal for extending environmental clearances as long as the proposed expansion capacity is within 25 per cent of the originally approved capacity," a top government source told PTI.

However, it could not be confirmed with the Environment Ministry.

Public hearing for environment clearance involves a meeting of all stakeholders, including villagers of the concerned area, district administration, company and Ministry representatives to chalk out a strategy for minimising the damage to environment and allay fears in this regard.

The move will also help in boosting the country's annual coal production and bridging the demand-supply gap in the country, pegged at about 70 million tonnes for the current fiscal. Consuming firms like NTPC have rued about the short-supply of coal hurting their production targets