Green norms for building projects relaxed: Dave

The Centre has relaxed green norms for building projects by doing away with the need to get clearances from the state level environmental impact assessment authorities.
Under the revised norms, projects covering less than 20,000 sq metre area will be deemed as having fulfilled relevant conditions simply based on "self-declaration" while those covering 20,000 to 1,50,000 sq metre area will be issued clearances by the local bodies.
Addressing a press conference here, Union Environment Minister Anil Dave said, the local bodies will have environmental cells to examine these projects and monitor their compliance.
It was being done through integrating environmental conditions in building bye-laws of local bodies, he said.

Asked whether the changes amounted to dilution of stringent norms, Dave said the process was only being decentralised to do away with the need for people to "rush to Delhi for these things".
"Environmental clearance will now be issued in an integrated manner along with the building permission under building bye-laws for all building constructions covering 20,000 to 1,50,000 sq metre of built up area," Dave said.

It will take months for the changes to kick in as the states will now forward the proposed changes in their building bye-laws and rules to the Centre, who in turn will examine them and before notifying.

Currently, these projects are subject to environmental clearance given by the state level environmental impact assessment authorities.
"For the first time it is envisaged that Qualified Building Environment auditors as empanelled by the Ministry of Environment would assess and certify the building projects," an official said.
The rules also say that no consent to establish and operate under the Water Act, 1974 and Air Act, 1981 will be required from the State Pollution Control Boards for residential buildings of built up area up to 1,50,000 sq metre.