An update on news, views and developments in India’s EIA Process ʹ ǡ ǡ ǡ ʹ Ͳ ͳ ͷ ǯ ǡ ǯ Ǥ Contents Editorial …… 1 ǡ Special Issue ..…. 3 ǡ NGT Update …… 10 Ǯ ǯ Analysis …… 27 Ǥ Ǥ ሺ ሻ Ǯ ǯ Ǥǯ Ǥ ǡ Ǯǯ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǩ Ǥ Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ Ǥ Ǧ ሺ ሻ Ǥ ǫ Ȁ Ǯ ǯ Ǥ Ǯǯ ǫ Ǯ ǯ ǯ ʹ ǡ ʹͲͳͷሾ ǡ ʹሿ Ǥ Ǥ ǯ Ǥ Ǧ ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 2 6SHFLDO)RFXV ሻǤ ǣ ͵Ͷ ǡ Ǧ ǡ ሺሻ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ͵Ͷ ሺǦሻ ʹ ǡ ʹͲͳͷ ͳ Ǥ ሺሻ Ǧ ሺǦሻǡ ǡ ͷ ሺ ሻ ǡ ͳͻ͹ʹǡ ǡ Ǯ ǯǤ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡͶͲ ǡ ʹ͵ ሺ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ͻͶΨሺͳ͹ ሻ Ǥ ͹ͲΨ 1 Suman Jumani, Research Associate, EIA Resource and Response Centre ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 3 Ǥ ሺͳͳሻǡ Ǧ ሺʹሻ ሺ͵ሻǤ ͳ͹ ͳ͹ ʹͻ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ͳ͹ʹʹǤͳʹǤʹͲͲͻȂ Dz ǡ dzǤ ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 4 ʹͻ Ͳ͸ǤͲ͸ǤʹͲͳ͵ ሺ Ȃ ሻǡ Dzǥ ʹ ሺሻ Ͷ Ȁ ሺሻǤ Ǥ ǡ dzǤ ͺ͸Ǥ͸ ǡ Ǥ ͵Ͷ ǡ Ǥ ͶͲ Ȃ ͺ Ǥ ̶ǥ Ǥ ǡ Project Elephant State ̶Ǥ corridor Construction Champramari - ǡ of Sevoke Kalipong - Rangpo Apalchand- West Bengal Ǯǯ Ǥ Railway line Mahananda corridor Electrification of Delhi- Chilla-Motichur Uttarakhand Dehradun corridor railway line ͳͲ Oil appraisal Golai elephant Assam ͵͵ ǡ well corridor ͵ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ͳͻͻͷ ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 5 Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ʹͺ ሺ ǡ ʹͲǤͲ͵ǤʹͲͳ͵ሻ ͸ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ȁ ͵Ͷ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ ʹͲ ሺሻ Ǩ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ ǡ ǯǤ ሺሻǡ The list of projects for which a site inspection was ordered after granting clearance Project Protected Area State Widening of NH17 – NHAI Karnala Bird Sanctuary Maharashtra Laying of Optic Fibre Cable – M/s Idea Cellular Pasuvemula & Nellikal Reserve Telangana Ltd Forests Laying of Optic Fibre Cable – M/s Idea Cellular Pasuvemula & Nellikal Reserve Andhra Pradesh Ltd Forests Construction of a Police community building Udanti-Sitanadi Tiger Reserve Chhattisgarh Construction of a check-dam Kudremukha Tiger Reserve Karnataka Drinking water pipeline for the Borawas Mukunda Hills Tiger Reserve Rajasthan Mandana Water Supply Project ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 6 ǣ Dz Ǥ Ǥdz ǡ ǡ Ǥ ͺ Ǧ ሺሻǤ Ǥ Ǧ ͵ʹ ǡ Ǥ ͷ Ǥ ͳ ʹ ǡ Ǧ ʹͻ Ǧ ሺ͸ሻ Ǥ ͵ͷሺ ሻ ǡͳͻ͹ʹǤ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ǯ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ʹͻǦ ሺ͸ሻ ͵ͷ Ǧ ሺ ሻ ǡ ͳͻ͹ʹǡ Ǥ ǡǡ ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 7 dzǤ Ǩ Ǧ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ ͵ʹ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǧ͵ Ǧ͹Ǥ Ȁ ǡ ͳͺ Ǥ ǡ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ͵ Ǧ͹ Ǥ ǡ Ǧ͹Ǥ Dz͵Ͷ ǡ Ǧ Ǧ ǮǯǤ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ ͸ Ȃ Dz Ȃ ǡ Ǥ ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 8 Ǥ Ǧ Ǥ ͵Ͷ Ǥ Ǧ Ǧ Ǥ ǡ ǦǤ Ȃ Ǥ Ǥ Ǧ ǡ ǡ ǡ Ǧ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ Ǥ ERC Journal is an Initiative of the EIA Resource and Response Centre (ERC), The Access Initiative India coalition Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment and aims to disseminate information on Forest and Environmental Clearance issues. We invite articles which involve critical analysis of Court judgments, EIA reports and other related issues. Address: N-71 LGF, Greater Kailash 1, New Delhi, 110048. www.ercindia.org. For articles please email: [email protected] No copyright is claimed and the contents can be freely used. ERC acknowledges the support of the Duleep Mathai Nature Conservation Trust in bringing out this journal ERC JOURNAL, JUNE 2015 Page 9 ǡ Ǥ͵ 1*7 ǡ Ǯ ǯ 83'$7( ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ͻͷ ʹ ǡ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ͳ͸͵Ͳ Ǥ Ǥ ǡ ǡ Ǥ ͻͷǡͳͻǡʹͲǡͲͲͲͳͲǣ͹ͲǣʹͲ ǡ Ǥ Ǥ ͷͲǡͲͲǡͲͲͲ 3 reentribunal.gov.in/Writereaddata/Downlo 2 Palavi Talware, lawyer, Legal Initiative for Forest ads/Jt._Appln_No.19.2013._Ramdas_Koli.% and Environment 20dt%2027.2.15%20(WZ).