With the Prime MinisterÂ’s Office stepping in to resolve the row between the National Highways Authority of India (NHAI) and the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) over forest clearances to highway projects, the NHAI has communicated that the ball is now in the ministryÂ’s court.
NHAI has been demanding that the MoEF should delink the environment and forest clearance from each other, following which it will withdraw its court case against the ministry. Last week, NHAI dragged MoEF to the Supreme Court seeking a modification of the ministryÂ’s criteria linking environment and forest clearance.
NHAI and the road ministry claim many highway projects have been stalled due to delays by the MoEF in granting forest clearance. MoEF has maintained the delay is more due to incomplete documentation by NHAI. It has been reported the PMO has directed MoEF to issue clarification delinking the two clearances.
Environment clearance was delinked from forest clearance until the apex courtÂ’s 2011 order in the case involving cement major Lafarge. Following the Lafarge order, the MoEF went ahead linking the two clearances to even road widening projects. It now gives environment clearance to road projects only after forest clearance is obtained. NHAI argues that linking the two has delayed 22 projects that had already been awarded.
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