Amendment: Rajiv Gandhi National Park (Andhra Pradesh) S.O. No.17(E)

EXTRAORDINARY PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 15] NEW DELHI, THURSDAY, JANUARY 2, 2025/ PAUSHA 12, 1946 MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 31st December, 2024 S.O. 17(E).— WHEREAS the Central Government, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1) clauses (v) and (xiv) of sub-section (2) and sub- section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, issued a notification to declare an Eco Sensitive Zone around Rajiv Gandhi national park, Andhra Pradesh in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number S.O. 1563(E), dated the 15th May, 2017; AND WHEREAS the Central Government is of the opinion that it is necessary and expedient in the public interest to amend the said notification; AND WHEREAS sub-rule (4) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 provides that whenever it appears to the Central Government that it is in the public interest to do so, it may dispense with the requirement of notice under clause (a) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986; AND WHEREAS the Central Government is of the opinion that it is in the public interest to dispense with the requirement of notice under clause (a) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 for amending the notification number S.O. 1563(E), dated the 15th May, 2017; NOW, THEREFORE, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (1), clauses (v) and (xiv) of sub- section (2) and sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with sub-rule (4) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby makes the following amendments in the notification of the Government of India in the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change, published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part-II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide number S.O. . 1563(E), dated the 15th May, 2017; namely: - In the said notification, - (a) In the date of publication, the word,” February” shall be omitted; (b) for paragraphs 5 and 6, the following paragraphs shall be substituted, namely: - “5. Monitoring Committee. - The Central Government hereby constitutes a Monitoring Committee, consisting of the following persons, namely :- (i) District Collector, Kadappa – Chairman, ex officio; (ii) One representative of Non Governmental Organization working in the field of environment to be nominated by the Government of Andhra Pradesh from time to time every three years– Member; (iii) One expert in area of ecology or environment from a reputed institution of University to be nominated by the Government of Andhra Pradesh from time to time every three years – Member; (iv) Regional Officer, State Pollution Control Board – Member, ex officio; (v) The Divisional Forest Officer, Proddatur Wildlife Division – Member, ex officio; (vi) Representative of the Department of Environment, Government of Andhra Pradesh– Member, ex officio; (vii) Member-Secretary or Member of the State Biodiversity Board – Member , ex officio; (viii) Representative of the Department of Urban Development, Government of Andhra Pradesh– Member, ex officio; (ix) Deputy Conservator of Forests/ Divisional Forest Officer, Kadapa Division– Member Secretary, ex officio. 6. Functions of Monitoring Committee.– (1) The Monitoring Committee shall, based on the actual site- specific conditions, scrutinise the activities covered in the Schedule to the notification of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forest, vide number S.O. 1533 (E), dated the 14th September, 2006, and are falling in the Eco-sensitive Zone, except for the prohibited activities specified in the Table under paragraph 4 thereof, and referred to the Central Government in the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change or the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, as the case may be, for prior environmental clearances under the provisions of the said notification. (2) The activities not covered in the Schedule to the notification referred to in sub-paragraph (1) and are falling in the Eco-sensitive Zone, except for the prohibited activities specified in the Table under paragraph 4 thereof, shall be scrutinised by the Monitoring Committee based on the actual site-specific conditions and referred to the concerned regulatory authorities. (3) The Member-Secretary of the Monitoring Committee or the Collector or the Deputy Conservator of Forests shall be competent to file complaint under section 19 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, against any person who contravenes the provisions of this notification. (4) The Monitoring Committee may invite a representative or expert from the Department, a representative from the industry associations or the stakeholders to assist the committee in its deliberations depending on the requirements on case to case basis. (5) The Monitoring Committee shall submit the action taken report annually of its activities for the period up to the 31st March of every year to the Chief Wildlife Warden of the State by the 30th June of that year in pro-forma specified in Annexure-IV. (6) The Central Government may give such directions in writing, as it deems fit, to the Monitoring Committee for effective discharge of its functions. ”. Note. -The principal notification was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), vide notification number S.O.1563(E), dated the 15th May, 2017. and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054. SARVESH KUMAR SRIVASTAVA