Norms for green clearances to be relaxed in Uttarakhand

A regional MoEF office would be opened in Dehradun for quick disposal of various projects in the wake of the June 16-17 devastation

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In order to expedite green clearances from the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MOEF) in the floods-ravaged Uttarakhand, the centre has decided to relax the norms.

Union Minister of State for Environment and Forests Jayanti Natrajan on Wednesday said a regional office of her ministry would be set up in Dehradun for speedy disposal of various projects in the wake of the June 16-17 devastation.

She also accepted, in principle, a request of the state government for granting green bonus in preserving its vast wealth of over 65 per cent of forest cover.

After holding a high-level meeting with Chief Minister Vijay Bahuguna and other top state government officials at the secretariat, Natrajan said the ministry would help in every possible way in expediting the projects that were required to be cleared by her ministry. “We will open a regional office of our ministry to expedite projects where fo-rest clearance is required up to five hectares of land. The ministry will first set up a camp office of a nodal officer. After completing all the formalities, a full-fledged office of the nodal officer will also start functioning in Deh-radun,” she said.

The government will not have to seek clearance for those projects where the requirement of land is only up to one hectare.

On the shifting of villages which have been declared unsafe due to the tragedy, Natrajan asked the state government to send proposals regarding the clearance of forest land.

On the issue of green bonus, she acknowledged the green services provided by the state in the context of 65 per cent of forest cover. She said the proposal of green bonus would be put forward before the planning commission also.

However, there was no official word on the issue of hydel projects, which are coming under criticism from different quarters on environmental as well as religious issues.