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Green Clearance
As the Centre has proposed setting up standing bodies to expedite the green clearance process in states and Union territories, experts have raised concerns about the criteria for selecting the members for the new bodies, which could lead to a weakened scrutiny of projects. According to a draft notification issued on March 5, the new bodies would assume the functions of the existing State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEAC) whenever these state-level institutions become non-functional due to the expiry of their tenures or delays in reconstitution. While the SEIAA grants environmental clearances, the SEAC advises it in appraising the project. The new bodies Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment (SAEIA) and Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal (SCEIA) would comprise "ex officio members", meaning government officials or bureaucrats, nominated by the Central government. Subhrajit Goswami, a research
The National Green Tribunal has prohibited Eastern Rajasthan Canal Project Corporation Limited (ERCPCL) from proceeding with desilting, dredging, mineral extraction and disposal at the Bisalpur Dam in Tonk district without obtaining environmental clearance. In an order on Friday, the central zonal bench of the tribunal in Bhopal also directed the Rajasthan State Pollution Control Board to take necessary preventive, prohibitory, punitive and remedial measures in case of violations of environmental laws. The order by a bench of judicial member Justice Sudhir Agarwal and expert member Afroz Ahmad came on a petition file by Jodhpur-resident Dinesh Bothra challenging the tender for the contract of sand mining at the Bisalpur Dam for a period of 20 years. RCPCL, representing the Department of Mines, had issued online bids for the reclamation of storage capacity of the Bisalpur Dam by desilting. In its order, the tribunal has barred all activities under the project involving dredging, ...