Govt to bring amendments to 5 green laws in Budget Session

The government will bring amendments to five key environment laws enacted between 1971 and 1986 in the Budget Session of Parliament, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar said today.
He said bringing changes to the green laws, which were reviewed by a high-level panel, is in line with "current requirements" and it is the priority of his ministry in the new year.
"We now have the high-level committee report with us. There is an urgent need of revamping laws and rules. All the five laws related to environment needs some correction to protect effectively the environment and allow sustainable development.
"To that end we want to change laws and rules. So that becomes our first priority. We aim to bring those changes by April in the session, which will go to the Standing Committees and thereafter in 2015, the new regime will be out," the Minister told PTI, while speaking on his ministry's plan for 2015.

These laws which were reviewed by a four-member panel headed by former Cabinet Secretary T S R Subramanian are the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, The Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981.
The laws were reviewed in the backdrop of the government taking serious measures to fasten the environment clearance process for achieving economic growth without compromising green issues.
Some of the major recommendations of the panel are providing economic incentives for increased community participation in farm and social forestry by way of promoting and proving statutory safeguards to 'treelands' as distinct from forest and making preparation of Wildlife Management plans mandatory and inserting provision to this effect in the Wildlife Protection Act.

The panel has also recommended speedy green approvals in mining and power sectors as it feels that these sectors play a key role in national development.