S.O.1953 (E) dated 27/04/2022-Amendment in EIA Notification, 2006

Che Gazette of India .- ua.-31.-27042022-235392 EXTRAORDINARY TR &y PUBLISHED BY AUTHORITY No. 1860] NEW DELHI, WEDNESDAY, APRIL 27, 2022/VAISAKHA 7, 1944 7€ faeelt, 27 arfrer, 2022 FLAT. 1953(H).— 7T FXAT F TR TAECT AT TT TATAT AT ATLEAT H AT AT AT AT ATt S A A 7w W 7(F) F AT o A ey voyp A o E ¥ forg % B 7o ATt Tor F wlmen Sead F1 wgert vew § S TerE At § TRt WA afeaw {ier qereswar 2900 GI2022 (&) FTT TEET AT FT TAN F7d g0 IFT A=t § Fferfard i womres w7t &, i~ SO FETA TATEAT 7 o AT ST | . o o o froqur : wer srfergEET AT F Tror, T wr.ar. 1533(3), ara 14 feEw, 2006 § wawrfer fi v ofr AT IHH ATEEEAT HEAT F1LAT. 1886(), ATET 20 Airer, 2022 ZTT A ave Ferrere B ww T MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE NOTIFICATION New Delhi, the 27th April, 2022 S.0. 1953(E).—Whereas the notification of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forest number S.0. 1533 (E), dated the 14th September, 2006 was published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii), regarding requirement of prior Environmental Clearance (EC) for the projects covered in its Schedule (hereinafter referred to as the said notification) including aerial ropeways which are covered under item 7(g) of the Schedule; And whereas, the Ministry is in receipt of representation from Ministry of Road Transport and Highways stating that ropeways are an important component of the transport network of the country as it can be used to provide last mile connectivity as well as mobility in hilly areas and the requirement of environmental clearance for these projects came only in 2006 and before that these projects were excluded from the requirement of Environmental Clearance. Further, the Ministry was requested to review the said notification and to exclude ropeways from the projects requiring prior Environmental Clearance (EC); And whereas, Public utility ropeways have been excluded from the ambit of the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 (69 0f 1980) subject to certain conditions as per letter F. No. 5-2/2017-FC dated 05.08.2019; And whereas, the matter was referred to the Expert Appraisal Committee of Infrastructure sector in this Ministry for deliberation. After detailed deliberation, the said Expert Committee recommended that aerial ropeway is an environment friendly mode of transport in hilly areas with least impact on environment compared to Roads or Highways and recommended that aerial ropeway projects may be excluded from the ambit of EIA Notification, 2006 subject to certain environmental safeguards laid down from time to time. And whereas, a draft notification for making amendments in the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 in exercise of the powers conferred under sub-section (1) and clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 read with clause (d) of sub -rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986 was published, vide number S.0. 491(E) dated the 2™ February 2022, inviting objections and suggestions from all the persons likely to be affected thereby, within a period of sixty days from the date on which copies of Gazette containing the said notification were made available to the Public; And whereas, copies of the said notification were made available to the public on 7* February, 2022; ‘And whereas, all objections and suggestions received in response to the draft notification mentioned in para 5 above have been duly considered by the Central Government; Now, therefore, in exercise of powers conferred by sub-section (1) and clause (v) of sub-section (2) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) read with clause (d) of sub-rule (3) of rule 5 of the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the Central Government hereby makes the following further amendment in the said notification, namely,- In the Schedule to the said notification, under heading, “Physical Infrastructure including Environmental Services”, Item 7(g) and the entries relating thereto shall be omitted. Note: The principal notification was published in the Gazette of India, vide, number S.O. 1533ng) dated the 14% September, 2006 and last amended vide the notification number S.O. 1886(E), dated the 20™ April, 2022. and Published by the Controller of Publications, Delhi-110054, 1o