To expedite strategic border projects, the Environment Ministry has given in-principle approval for waiver of mandatory forest and environment clearances for construction of strategic roads and bridges. It has also allowed diversion of land for setting up of surveillance equipment within five kilometres from the International Border and 100 km from lAC.
“This Ministry agrees in-principle to grant general approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act, 1980 for diversion of forest land for creation of border security related infrastructure within five kilometres aerial distance from the International Border,” said Environment and Forest Minister Prakash Javadekar in a written communication to Home Minister Rajnath Singh and Minister for Road Transport and Highways Nitin Gadkari.
Singh had earlier written to Javadekar seeking exemption of environment clearance for infrastructure projects falling within 100 km from line of Control (loC), line of Actual Control (lAC) and International Border (IB).
Earlier this week, Ministry of Road Transport and Highways wrote to the Environment and Forests Ministry asking it authorise the States sharing international borders to give environment and forest clearances at their level to expedite infrastructure projects along the borders. The states are: Bihar, West Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Mizoram, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Rajasthan, Punjab and Gujarat.
In his letter, Javadekar said paramilitary organisations like Border Security Force and Sashastra Seema Bal being the first line of defence along the IB, most of their installations such as border roads, fencing, Border Outposts, floodlights, surveillance and power infrastructure are required to be created along or near the IB.
Due to the inhospitable terrain along the lAC, installations of the Indo-Tibetan Border Police deployed along the lAC as first line defence, are required to be created at far away distance from the lAC.For this, too, the Environment Ministry has accorded general approval under the Forest Conservation Act for diversion of forest land required for infrastructure development upto 100 kms from lAC.
For grant of general approval for diversion of forest land required for creation of other strategic installations of the Armed Forces within 100 km aerial distance from the lAC, the Environment Ministry has requested the Ministry of Defence to identify strategic Defence infrastructure-related activities which are to be taken up and submit the list.
“As far as grant of general approval under the Forest (Conservation) Act for creation of security related installations within 100 km from loC by the BSF is concerned, question of the same does not arise as provisions of the Forest (Conservation) Act do not extend to Jammu & Kashmir,” the letter said.