Policy on environmental safeguards for construction projs soon

The government will soon come out with a policy with regard to environmental safeguards for building and construction projects, government told the Lok Sabha today.
Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar also indicated that the area limit for exemption from environmental approval could be increased from the present 20,000 square metres.
He said many building and construction projects used to wait for three to four years for environmental clearances.
After studying each case, he said in reply to questions that the conditions for environmental safeguards have been standardised and a "policy decision" has been taken.
"The decision will be shortly announced but we are giving relief to the real estate sector for affordable housing projects to come up in a nice way...," the Minister said.

"We have worked out the architecture of responsible business. We will announce the decision soon," he emphasised.
To a query on whether the government would increase the area limit for exemption from environmental clearance requirement to 50,000 sq metres, Javadekar said, "she has asked about only 50,000 sq metres, we may announce even more".
He was responding to AIADMK member R Vanaroja.