International Journal of Applied Environmental Sciences ISSN 0973-6077 Volume 14, Number 5 (2019), pp. 475-487 © Research India Publications http://www.ripublication.com

Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining Environmental Clearance in India

V.Vijay Kumar*, S.Swathy, R.Radhika, M.A.Fasi Khan and Dr.B.Chakradhar Ramky Enviro Services Private Limited (A subsidiary of Ramky Enviro Engineers Limited), 12th Floor, Ramky Grandiose, Ramky Towers Complex, Gachibowli, Hyderabad – 500 032, Telangana, India. *Corresponding author

Abstract The prosperity and economic growth of a country depends, to a large extent, on its forest wealth. The forest is an important natural resource for any country and retards a country's development. As per National Forest Policy, 1988 the national goal is to have a minimum of one-third of the total land area of the country under forest / tree cover. In hills and in mountainous regions, it should be aimed to maintain two-third of the area under forest/tree cover in order to prevent , etc., and to ensure the stability of fragile eco-system. Green belt development is beneficial in several ways leading in conservation of , retention of soil moisture, reduction in atmospheric , recharge of ground water, improving aesthetics of local environment and maintaining pleasant atmosphere of the region. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and (MoEFCC) insisted to develop green belt for new and existing projects proposing expansion and modernisation in their respective Environmental Clearance (EC), in order to minimize the impacts due to and noise pollution in the environment. The MoEFCC has issued the standard Terms of Reference (ToR) for the list of 39 projects or activities for preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report. For most of the projects or activities the green belt area suggested is 33% of total land area, width of the 3 tier green belt is varying from 15m to 100m depending on the type of project, density of the green belt is in the range 1500 to 2500 per ha, the green belt species suggested is native species. Keywords: Green belt, National forest policy, standard terms of reference, environmental clearance, 33%, MoEFCC 476 V.Vijay Kumar et al.

INTRODUCTION Green belt is plantation of trees for reducing the pollution as they absorb both gaseous and particulate pollutant, thus removing them from atmosphere. Green plants form a surface capable of absorbing air pollutants and forming sinks for pollutants, it improves the aesthetic value of local environment. Green belts are planned open spaces safeguarded from developmental activities such as construction of buildings, factories, any other infrastructural activities; these areas are used only for growing vegetation cover. Green belts in and around urban and industrial areas are important for maintaining ecological health of the region. Though there is no exclusive green belt development policy in India, however on basis of other environmental policies and acts there are certain restrictions and prohibitions on new projects or activities or on the expansion or modernization of existing projects or activities based on their potential environmental impacts as indicated in the schedule to the EIA Notification issued in 1994 and revised in 2006, being undertake in any part of India, unless prior EC has been accorded in accordance with the objectives of National Environmental Policy. As per Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 [FCA] and Forest Conservation Rules, 2003 (Guidelines & Clarifications) one of the condition stipulated by MoEFCC while according prior approval (stage I / Stage II) for non-forest use of forest land under FCA, 1980 for industrial projects is that the user agency has to maintain green belt (33%) within the allotted area as per the directions of the concerned Divisional Forest Officer. All mining projects, including cluster mines, are required to have a 7.5m wide peripheral safety zone within the mining area, properly demarcated with boundary pillars with differential global positioning system (DGPS) coordinates inscribed on them and to be maintained as effective green belt.

Siting guidelines for industries The MoEFCC (Handbook of Environmental Procedures and Guidelines, 1994) has notified siting criteria for establishment of industries considering and striking balanced approach between economic, social and environmental factors into consideration. The factors related to green belt are given below.  The green belt shall be 1/2km wide around the battery limit of the industry, for industry having odour problem it shall be one km wide.  The green belt between two adjoining large scale industries shall be one km.  No prime agricultural land shall be converted into industrial site.  No forest land shall be converted into non-forest activity for the sustenance of the industry (FCA, 1980).  Land acquired shall be sufficiently large to provide space for appropriate treatment of wastewater, the treated wastewater left after maximum possible reuse and recycle should be used to raise green belt and to create water body for aesthetics, recreation and if possible for aquaculture. Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 477

Conditions related to green belt cited in standard terms of reference issued by MoEFCC (2015) The MoEFCC has notified the EIA Notification, 2006 under the provisions of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, which regulates development and their expansion / modernization of 39 sectors / activities listed in the Schedule to the EIA Notification, 2006. There are two Category of the projects viz. Category 'A' projects are handled at the level of MoEFCC and the Category 'B' projects are handled by the respective State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) following the procedure prescribed under the EIA Notification, 2006. For obtaining EC the EIA report has to be prepared based on the Standard ToR. The standard ToRs have been prepared by MoEFCC based on ToR issued in the past as well as independent inputs received from experts and are for guiding the project proponent on preparation of EIA report and expediting the process of EC without compromising environmental norms and the rigor of EIA. The project proponents should consult the sectoral EIA manuals which have been prepared and uploaded on the departmental website for the concerned sectors for detail information and guidance. The significant ToR points related to green belt in the standard ToR are varying depending upon the type of project /sector. The key ToR point’s sector wise related to green belt are given in Table 1.

Table 1. TOR points related to green belt Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity 1 [a] A time bound progressive green belt Non coal mining project development plan shall be prepared in a tabular form (indicating the linear and quantitative coverage, species and time frame) and submitted, keeping in mind, the same will have to be executed up front on commencement of the project. Phase wise plan of plantation and compensatory afforestation should be charted clearly indicating the area to be covered under plantation and the species to be planted. The details of plantation already done should be given. The plant species selected for green belt should have greater ecological value and should be of good utility value to the local with emphasis on local and native species and the species which are tolerant to pollution 478 V.Vijay Kumar et al.

Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity Progressive Green belt and ecological Coal mining project restoration /afforestation plan (both in text, figures and in the tabular form as per the format of MOEFCC – category, present, 5th year, 10th year 20th year, end of the mine life) and selection of species (native) based on original survey/land use should be given. Green belt development should be undertaken particularly around the transport route and coal handling plant. 1 [b] Offshore and onshore oil Green belt development point not mentioned and gas exploration, in the standard TOR development and production 1 [c] Plan for Green Belt Development along the River valley projects periphery of reservoir, colonies, approach road, canals etc., to be prepared in consultation with the State Forest Department. Local plant species suitable for green belt development should be selected. Compensatory afforestation to compensate the green belt area that will be removed, if any, as part of the proposed project development and loss of biodiversity. 1 [d] Detailed scheme for raising green belt of Thermal power plants native species of appropriate width (50 to 100m) and consisting of at least 3 tiers around plant boundary with tree density of 2000 to 2500 trees per ha with a good survival rate of around 80%, shall be submitted. Photographic evidence must be created and submitted periodically including NRSA reports in case of expansion projects. A shrub layer beneath tree layer would serve as an effective sieve for dust and sink for CO2 and other gaseous pollutants and hence a stratified green belt should be developed. Over and above the green belt, as carbon sink, plan for additional plantation shall be Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 479

Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity drawn by identifying blocks of degraded forests, in close consultation with District Forests Department. In pursuance to this the project proponent shall formulate time bound action plans along with financial allocation and shall submit status of implementation to the ministry every six months. A common green endowment fund shall be created by the project proponents out of EMP budgets. The interest earned out of it should be used for development and management of green cover of the area. 1 [e] Site lay-out plan of the proposed Nuclear power projects development shall be submitted to a scale of and processing of nuclear 1:5000 clearly marking the lay-out of fuel breakwaters, navigation channels, harbor basin, berths, dry docks, work shops, container freight station, cargo handling systems, conveyors, covered and uncovered storage yards, ware , roads, railway tracks, effluent disposal points, administrative and operational buildings, utilities, town-ships, green belts, dredged material disposal etc. Boundaries of the proposed plants shall be shown therein with latitude and longitude. 2 [a] Coal washeries A thick of about 50m width should be developed surround the washery 2 [b] A time bound progressive green belt Mineral beneficiation development plan shall be prepared in a tabular form (indicating the linear and quantitative coverage, plant species and time frame) and submitted, keeping in mind, the same will have to be executed up front on commencement of the project. The plant species selected for green belt should have greater ecological value and should be of good utility value to the local population with emphasis on local and native species and the species which are tolerant to the 480 V.Vijay Kumar et al.

Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity pollution. 3 [a] Metallurgical industries Photographs of the proposed and existing (if (ferrous and non ferrous) applicable) plant site. If existing, show photographs of plantation/greenbelt, in 3 [b] Cement plants particular. Action plan for the green belt development 4 [a] Petroleum refining plan in 33% area i.e. land with not less than industry 1500 trees per ha. Giving details of species, 4 [b] Coke oven plants width of plantation, planning schedule etc. shall be included. The green belt shall be 4 [c] Asbestos milling and around the project boundary and a scheme asbestos based products for greening of the roads used for the project 4 [d] Chlor-alkali industry shall also be incorporated. 4 [e] Soda ash industry 4 [f] Skin/hide processing industry including tanning industry 5 [a] Chemical fertilisers 5 [b] Pesticides industry and pesticides specific intermediates 5 [c] Petro chemical complexes 5 [d] Manmade fibres 5 [e] Petroleum products and Petrochemical based processing 5 [f] Synthetic organic chemicals industry 5 [g] Distilleries 5 [h] Integrated paint industry 5 [i] Pulp and paper industry 5 [j] Sugar industry 6 [a] Oil and gas transportation Green belt development point not mentioned pipe line in the standard TOR Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 481

Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity 6 [b] Isolated storage and Photographs of the proposed and existing (if handling of hazardous applicable) plant site. If existing, show chemicals photographs of plantation/greenbelt, in particular. Action plan for the green belt development plan in 33% area i.e. land with not less than 1500 trees per ha. Giving details of species, width of plantation, planning schedule etc. shall be included. The green belt shall be around the project boundary and a scheme for greening of the roads used for the project shall also be incorporated. 7 [a] Airports Examine the details of afforestation measures indicating land and financial outlay. plan, green belts and open spaces may be described. A thick green belt should be planned all around the nearest settlement to mitigate noise and vibrations. The identification of species / plants should be made based on the botanical studies. 7 [b] All ship breaking yards Green belt development point not mentioned including ship breaking in the standard TOR units 7 [c] Industrial estates / / Green buffer in the form of green belt to a complexes / areas/ export width of 15m should be provided all along processing zones/ special the periphery of the industrial area. The economic zones, biotech individual units should keep 33% of the parks, leather complexes allotted area as a green area 7 [d] Common hazardous waste Green belt development point not mentioned treatment, storage and in the standard TOR disposal facilities 7 [e] Ports, harbours, break Examine the details of afforestation water, dredging measures indicating land and financial outlay. Landscape plan green belts and open spaces may be described. A thick green belt should be planned all around the nearest settlement to mitigate noise and vibrations. The identification of species / plants should be made based on the botanical studies. 482 V.Vijay Kumar et al.

Project Name of the sector TOR point /Activity 7 [f] Highways Necessary green belt shall be provided on both sides of the highways with proper central verge and cost provision should be made for regular maintenance. 7 [g] Aerial ropeways Green belt development point not mentioned in the standard TOR 7 [h] Common effluent Details of greenbelt treatment plants 7 [i] Common municipal solid Submit a copy of the layout plan of project waste management facility site showing solid waste storage, greenbelt (width and length, 33% of the project area), all roads, prominent wind direction, processing plant and buildings, etc., should be provided 8 [a] Building and construction No Standard TOR projects As per S.O. 3999 [E] dated 9th Dec 2016, a minimum of 1 tree for every 80m2 of land area should be planted and maintained. The existing trees will be counted for this purpose. Preference should be given to planting native species. Where the trees need to be cut, compensatory plantation in the ratio of 1:3 (i.e. planting of 3 trees for every 1 tree that is cut) shall be done and maintained. 8 [b] Townships and area Green belt development point not mentioned development projects in the standard TOR

Conditions related to green belt given in ECs issued by statutory authorities In some environmental clearances issued for various types of projects by concerned regulatory authorities at central and state level, the following conditions related to green belt development are mentioned. For mining projects, plantation shall be raised in a 7.5m wide green belt in the safety zone around the mining lease, backfilled and reclaimed area, around water body, along the roads etc., by planting the native species in consultation with the local DFO/ Department and per CPCB guidelines. The density of the trees should be around 2500 plants per ha. Green belt shall be developed all along the mine lease area in phased manner and shall be completed within first five years. Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 483

For thermal power plants, to mitigate dust pollution, a thick green belt should be developed around the plant and ashy dyke area. Green belt consisting of three tiers of plantation of native species around plant and at least 50m width shall be raised. Wherever 50m width is not feasible a 20m width shall be raised and adequate justification shall be submitted to the ministry. Tree density shall not be less than 2500 per ha with survival rate not less than 80%. Green belt shall be developed around the ash pond over and above the green belt around the plant boundary. For industrial projects, green belt of adequate width and density shall be provided in 33 % area to mitigate the effects of fugitive emissions all around the plant with local species in consultation with the DFO as per the CPCB guidelines. For bulk drugs manufacturing unit, the green belt of at least 5-10m width shall be developed in nearly 33% of the total project area, mainly along the plant periphery, in downward wind direction, and along road sides, etc. Selection of plant species shall be as per the CPCB guidelines in consultation with state forest department. For industrial areas/parks/estates, green belt 33% of the area along the boundary, roads, open areas as well as in and around individual units. The green belt of adequate width and density preferably with local species along the periphery of the plot shall be raised so as to provide protection against and noise. No exotic species to be used. Plants of native species can be procured from local forest department. There shall be continuous green belt along the plant premises, except at the designated entry and exit points. For hazardous waste treatment storage and disposal facilities, project proponent shall develop green belt with native species that are significant and used for the pollution abatement, at least 10m thick green belt shall be developed in the periphery of hazardous waste facility, green belt shall cover 33% of the total area, green belt of 10m will be developed along the boundary, 1m along the road (two sides), open areas, other than active landfills. For building and construction projects, the green belt design along the periphery of the plot shall achieve attenuation factor conforming to the day and night noise standards prescribed for residential land use by the MoEFCC, GOI/CPCB. The open spaces inside the plot should be suitably landscaped and covered with vegetation of indigenous variety. Species of mosquito repellent & aromatic plants along with other plants shall also be included for development of greenbelt. During night time the noise levels measured at the boundary of the building shall be restricted to the permissible levels to comply with the prevalent regulations. The proponent shall develop and maintain green belt with tall growing trees instead of lawns, etc., to maximum extent; the proponent shall also geotag all the sampling planted. For area development projects, one of the specific condition under green cover stated that a minimum of 1 tree for every 80m2 of land should be planted and maintained. The existing trees will be counted for this purpose. Preference should be given to planting native species. Where the trees need to be cut, compensatory plantation in the ratio of 1:3 (i.e. planting of 3 trees for every 1 tree that is cut) shall be done and maintained. Adequate area shall be provided for green belt/ landscape development. 484 V.Vijay Kumar et al.

Development of green belt Most of the anthropogenic activities generate pollution in one or other types and of different magnitude, for which all the are exposed. In such cases the green belts will be effective in controlling the pollution. Leaves with their vast area in a tree crown, sorbs pollutants on their surface, thus affectively reduce their concentrations in ambient air. Often the sorbed pollutants are incorporated in metabolic stream and thus the air is purified. Plants grown in such a way as the function as pollutant sinks are collectively referred as green belts. As per guidelines for development of greenbelts, CPCB (Programme objective series – PROBES/75/1999-2000) there are two types of approaches for designing green belts viz. 1) source oriented and 2) receptor oriented. Both these approaches have their own advantages and limitations. Source oriented approach is advantageous where a single industry is situated and the pollutants emitted by the same are sought to be contained. The receptor oriented approach is desirable in urban / industrial complexes with multiple sources of pollution are present along with human settlements in between. Generally it is stated that tolerant species should be planted in green belts, but it is very difficult to state confidently about several other aspects about the green belts viz. bio-geographic regions, soil quality, distance between species, width and height with reference to pollution source, ideal density of plants, etc. While making choice of plant species for cultivation in green belts, weightage has to be given to the natural factor of bio-climate, authorities responsible for plantation should make adequate provisions for watering and protection of the saplings. For effective removal of pollutants following measures has to be adopted.  See that the plants grow under conditions of adequate nutritional supply (for health and vigour of growth)  Absence of water stress (to maintain openness of stomatal apertures and form of epidermal structures)  Plants are well exposed to atmospheric conditions of light and breeze (i.e. away from engineering structures hindering free flow of air) to maintain free interaction with gases Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 485

Characters of plants necessary for effecting absorption of pollutant gases and removal of dust particles are given Table 2.

Table 2. Characters of plants For absorption of gases For removal of suspended particulate matter Tolerance towards pollutants Height and spread of crown Longer duration of foliage Leaves supported on firm petioles Freely exposed foliage, through Abundance of surfaces on bark and foliage,  adequate height of crown, through  openness of foliage in canopy,  roughness of bark,  big leaves (long and broad  epidermal outgrowths on petioles, laminar surfaces) large number  abundance of axillary hairs of stomatal apertures,  hairs or scales on laminar surfaces  stomata well exposed  stomata protected

The plant foliage plays a major role in absorbing the air pollutant efficiently, due to the favourable light conditions near the canopy surface of the plant. The rate of the pollutant removal is found to increase linearly as the concentration of the pollutant increased over the ranges of concentration that are encountered in ambient air and which are low enough not to cause stomatal closure. Within their limits of tolerance, plants absorb air pollutants and to that extent remove the same from ambient air. The solubilities of pollutant gases in water are listed in in Table 3. Table 3. Solubilities of pollutant gases in water Pollutant Solubility at 20°C -1 (cm3 gas ml H2O) HF 446 SO2 39.40 Cl2 2.30 NO2 Decomposes O3 0.26 PAN -- NO 0.05 CO 0.02

The plant uptake of air pollutants appeared to follow the following order (Hill and Chamberlain, 1974).

HF>SO2 > Cl > NO2 > O3 > PAN > NO > CO The design of the green belt and its composition may vary from place to place and industry to industry. Just putting some trees around an industry may not serve the 486 V.Vijay Kumar et al. purpose of green belt. The development of green belt by using pollution tolerant plants for air quality improvement involves selecting suitable plants species, determining climatic conditions, nature of pollutants to be ameliorated and general landscape of the locality. The width of the green belt varies based on the type /category of industry (R.B.Gupta, et al. 2008) as given in Table 4. The CPCB in its book titled Guidelines for developing greenbelts – PROBES/75/1999-2000 has given a comprehensive list of plants recommended for green belts in the country (India), the country is divided into six agro-climatic zones and their subzones. The list consists of latin and common names of plants, natural order to which they belong and number of relevant characteristic features, viz. tolerance or otherwise towards air pollution, habit, growth rate, flowering phenology, crown shape and approximate surface area, etc. Table 4. Width of the green belt based on industry type Class Industry Width of GB (m) I Heavy industry with high potential of air pollution > 500 II Heavy industry with low potential of air pollution 200 to 500 III A. Medium heavy industry with high potential of air 100 to 200 pollution III B. Medium heavy industry with low potential of air 100 to 200 pollution IV A. Light industry with high potential of air pollution 50 to 100 IV B. Light industry with low potential of air pollution 50 to 100 V Service industry 10 to 50 VI Workshops, handicrafts, etc. < 10

CONCLUSION Development of green belt consisting of 3 tier along the periphery of the project with native species is most important guideline for any type of industry. Green vegetation cover is beneficial in many ways leading to conservation of biodiversity, retention of soil moisture, recharge of ground water and maintaining pleasant climate of the area, providing possible for birds and . Green belt minimizes the build-up of pollution levels in urban / industrial areas by acting as pollution sinks. The 3 tier green belt will absorb pollutants released from the industrial activity into atmosphere and helps in effective pollution control. The main advantages of green belt in and around the industry are to control air and noise pollution. Trees help in trapping particulate matter, removing carbon dioxide and other pollutants from air and by release of oxygen into the air thereby improving the air quality. Green belt reduces the intensity of sound by deflect, refract or by absorb sound, it will function as barrier between industry and neighbourhood. The intensity reduction depends upon the distance sound has to travel from source and width of the greenbelt. Green belt also helps in soil erosion control through improvement of soil quality and binding soil Green Belt Requirement for New and Expansion Projects for Obtaining… 487 particles, it also contains water run offs and improves ground water infiltration and improves ground water recharge capacity. The green belt species should be selected based on the type/category of the industry and climatic conditions. Setting trees around an industry may not serve the purpose of green belt without considering the above elements.

Acknowledgements Authors are thankful to the management of Ramky Enviro Services Private Limited, Hyderabad for giving encouragement and support to publish this article.

REFERENCES [1] EIA notification (1994), MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [2] EIA notification (2006), MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [3] Guidelines for developing greenbelts, CPCB, March 2000, PROBES/75/1999-2000 [4] Handbook of Environmental Procedures and Guidelines (1994) MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [5] Handbook of Forest (Conservation) Act (FCA), 1980 and Forest Conservation Rules, 2003 (Guidelines & Clarifications) (2019), MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [6] National forest policy (1988), MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [7] Notification S.O.3999 (E), dated 9th December 2016, MoEFCC, GOI, New Delhi. [8] Standard terms of reference (TOR) for EIA/EMP report for projects/activities requiring environmental clearance under EIA notification, 2006, MoEFCC, April 2015 [9] Hill, A. C., & Chamberlain, E. M. (1974). The removal of water soluble gases from the atmosphere by vegetation. Atmosphere-Surface Exchange of Particulate and Gaseous Pollutants, 153-170. [10] Gupta, R., Chaudhari, B., & Wate, S. R. (2008). Overview on attenuation of industrial air pollution by greenbelt. J. Indus. Poll. Con, 24, 1-8.

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