Presentation made at the Press Conference of Environment Minister
A PowerPoint presentation was made at the Press Conference of Minister of State of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Shri Prakash Javadekar. The Press Conference was held at National Media Centre here today.
Following is the text of the Presentation:
TOWARDS MORE GREEN
Ø Unlocking Rs. 38,000 crore through CAMPA bill for more afforestation.
Ø 14th Finance Commission has given 7.5% weightage for forest cover and has provided for nearly Rs. 55,000 crore for afforestation.
Ø National Forest Policy being revised to ensure more greening, improving forest quality with participation of tribals and forest dwellers.
Ø Forest fires reduced by 15%
Ø Forest stocking (volume) in our forests have stabilized in the backdrop of negative trend earlier.
Ø Effective National Afforestation Programme on 75,000 ha of degraded land.
Ø More than 20,000 ha added to the forest area for reforestation while approving projects.
Ø New guidelines are being prepared to make 1, 00, 000 Joint Forest Management Committees more effective.
Ø New plan on anvil for improving fodder and water in Protected Areas.
Ø New scheme for Green Credit on anvil.
Ø PPP for afforestation on degraded forest land.
Ø 14 States have submitted their Perspective plans for Green India Mission out of which 6 have already been approved.
BETTER WILDLIFE MANAGEMENT
Ø Wildlife growth robust
v Tiger 2, 226 (70% of the world’s tiger population).
v Lions 523 (24% growth)
v Rhino 2, 889 (2401 in kaziranga)
v Elephants 30, 000 +
Ø 3 new tiger reserves, one in Bor, Maharashtra and Rajaji and Pilibhit in, Uttarakhand.
Ø 4 Tiger Protection Force and 1 Rhino Protection Force sanctioned.
Ø 30 poachers killed in encounter in a continuous drive against poaching.
Ø Burnt confiscated wildlife articles. State inventory ordered.
Ø 4 villages and 651 families relocated from 4 protected areas.
Ø Collaboration of NTCA & WCCB towards an online tiger/ wildlife crime tracking/ reporting system in Tiger Reserves.
Ø NBWL reconstituted and decided on 225 proposals laying stringent environmental conditions.
Ø 222 Eco-Sensitive Zones approved for providing effective buffer zone for wildlife areas after scientific evaluation and public consultation.
BETTER ANIMAL WELFARE
Ø Animals in Circuses banned.
Ø Grants for Gaushalas and Shelters for stray animals including Dogs
Ø Manza banned.
Ø Streamlining National Institute of Animal Welfare.
Ø New Diploma and Degree courses in Animal Welfare to be launched.
PRESERVING BIO-DIVERSITY
Ø NAGOYA Protocol ratified.
Ø Access benefit guidelines issued.
Ø National Mission on Himalayan Studies established.
v This will remove data deficit on glaciers, landslides, sustainable methods of building roads and tunnels, weather and other related issues.
EFFECTIVE POLLUTION CONTROL
Ø Mandated 24x7 monitoring of pollution for 3206 highly polluting industries. They have to fix such devices on effluent discharge points and on chimneys.
Ø Many industries have installed these devices. Others have furnished bank guarantees.
Ø Comprehensive Air Quality Index launched in 11 cities. Everyday bulletin at 5 PM on 8 parameters; PM-10, PM-2.5, SOX, NOX, O3, LEAD (PB), CO, NH3.
Ø PSUs supporting AQI expansion in 66 cities.
Ø 3-months action plan prepared in 3 meetings of concerned state governments and other agencies for NCR Airshed.
Ø Environmental norms for Cement industry made more stringent and notified.
Ø Environmental norms for Sand, stone-crushing, brick-kiln, fertilizers, chemicals, pharmaceuticals, paper and pulp, paint, distilleries and other sectors are being reviewed.
Ø Non-complying 124 industries closed.
Ø New standards for Sewage Treatment Plant issued.
Ø Sugar, Textile, Tanneries and distilleries mandated Zero Liquid Discharge.
Ø Black Liquor Discharge successfully prohibited.
Ø SOPs prepared for inspections.
Ø Harmonised system proposed for Red, Orange and Green categories based on pollution potential of Air, Water and Hazardous Waste.
FOR SWACHH BHARAT
Ø Following New Rules notified for Public Consultation
v New Hazardous Waste Rules
v New Solid Waste Rules, including Construction Waste Rules
v New E-Waste Rules
v New Plastic Waste Rules
v New Bio-Medical Waste Rules
Ø This will ensure scientific waste management at all levels and are open for consultations till 31st July on our website – www.moef.nic.in
CLEAN WATER AND RIVERS
Ø Top priority given for cleaning water by stopping industrial pollution in rivers/water bodies.
Ø New norms for STPs notified.
Ø Bio-remediation taken up for drains joining Ganga.
Ø Mini-lab for major Ghats to monitor bathing water quality at important Ghats along Ganga.
Ø 8 Water Quality Monitoring Stations are active and 113 more planned.
Ø Special drive to address water pollution issues in every state.
ENFORCEMENT BEGINS
Ø 64 polluting and non-complying industries on the banks of Ganga and 61 industries throughout the country were closed.
Ø Units are allowed to be reopened only after complying with the pollution norms.
Ø 11 units in U.P and 7 units in Delhi are closed for producing plastic carry bags below 40 microns.
Ø Technology-based monitoring system being expanded for forest appraisal, wildlife management and pollution control. Drones, electronic surveillance, camera traps, 24x7 pollution monitoring devices, geo-mapping being increasingly used.
Ø Various committees went into the urgent issues
v Landfill in Mumbai
v Lake pollution in Bengaluru
v River pollution in Pune
v Industrial pollution in Khargon.
v Illegal Slaughter houses in U.P and Telangana.
THIS IS JUST A BEGINNING
PROCESSES MADE TRANSPARENT
Ø Online process started for Environmental, Forest, Wildlife and Zoo approvals. More than 3, 200 projects submitted online.
Ø Access to previous EIA reports granted.
Ø Compendium of all OMs/Notifications.
Ø Standard TORs for all 39 sectors are prepared which will avoid the delay of 1 year.
Ø Education and industrial complexes are exempted from EC with more stringent environmental standard conditions.
Ø GIS-based decision making for forest approvals.
DECENTRALISATION
Ø Approvals for 40 ha and below are delegated to Regional Empowered Committees consisting of the State officials, scientists, experts and MoEF&CC officials.
Ø Mineral beneficiation sanctioning power of State SIAA increased from 2 million tonnes to 5 milliontonnes.
Ø REC authorized to decide on Category A projects on the state borders and within 5 kms.
Ø State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities to decide on the projects of
v Distilleries up to 60 mld per year.
v Irrigation Projects up to 10, 000 ha.
Ø Biomass energy projects up to 15 MW.
PUBLIC PARTICIPATION
Ø Doors opened for more public participation.
Ø Urban Forest (Nagari Vanodyan Yojana) launched.
Ø Social forestry, agro forestry and Joint Forest Management to be made more effective through public participation.
Ø ‘Fresh air my birthright’ campaign to be launched ín 20 cities.
Ø Save water and energy campaigns to be encouraged with peoples’ participation.
Ø School Nursery programmes to be launched soon.
Ø Environmental syllabus and skilling courses.
Ø Workshop of 125 voluntary organizations and civil society groups held.
IMPROVING WORK CULTURE
Ø Doors of the Ministry opened for common people.
Ø Motivational workshops held in June 2014.
Ø 3 Chintan Shivirs for officers organized in Bengaluru, Bhopal and Guwahati.
Ø 3-day conclave of States’ Environment and Forest Ministers & Pollution Control Boards and concerned officers held in Delhi in April 2015.
REVAMP OF LAWS
Ø CAMPA Bill introduced.
Ø A Bill for higher penalties for violations is circulated for consultation.
Ø EP Act, 1986, Forest Conservation Act 1980 and Indian Forest Act 1927, Water and Air Acts, as also Wildlife Protection Act will be revised to address the sensibilities of effective environment protection and ensuring development without destruction.
Ø Consultation with stakeholders on High Level Empowered Committee under TSR Subramanian is near completion.
CLIMATE CHANGE: A PROACTIVE INDIA
Ø India played an effective and proactive role at Lima to bring developing world together and arrive at a consensus that Paris agreement will be based on the principles of UNFCCC wherein equity, CBDR and Polluter to Pay principles are bed rocked into it.
Ø India is taking ambitious pre-2020 actions and is asking developed world to walk the talk.
Ø India has proposed separate brainstorming sessions to sort out contentious issues such as pre-2020 action, finance, technology, legal nature of agreement and differentiation before Paris.
Ø Preparation for Indian INDCs is on track.
POLICY BASED DECISIONS
Ø Decentralisation of power to the States and RECs.
Ø Defence projects within 100 kms of LAC, border roads by Army, ITBP, BSF, SSB and roads in 117 Left-Wing Extremism affected districts given general approval without compromising on the environmental conditions.
Ø To fast-track linear projects, the permissions to start work are given after Stage-I clearance.
Ø Irrigation with command area less than 2, 000 ha will not require EC and powers up to 10, 000 ha are delegated to the RECs.
Ø Upgradation and strengthening of existing roads in forests is allowed for the convenience of tribals and forest dwellers.
MAJOR PROJECTS OF PUBLIC INTEREST APPROVED (Indicative list)
Ø Project Sea Bird of Indian Navy at Karwar pending since 2011.
Ø ChhatrapatiShivaji statue at Arabian Sea off Mumbai coast.
Ø EC has been granted for more than 100 MTPA of coal production.
Ø Damancherla Power Project in Nalagonda district, Telangana.
Ø 82 Goa mines sanctioned for reopening after SC’s approval.
Ø Approval for Sand mines’ auction by Punjab government.
Ø Immediate transfers of ECs for coal mines auctioned by Coal Ministry.
Ø TOR for Bengaluru airport expansion.
Ø Chennai Port Mega Terminal pending since 2012.
Ø Four-laning of National Highways approved for Gwalior-Shivpuri, Siluk-Dambuk road to Trans-Arunachal highway in Arunachal, Gondia-Seoni NH-7; Mumbai-Goa road, NH-50 Nasik-Pune,Ludhiana-Talwandi NH-95, Panchkula-Yamunanagar NH-73.
Ø Strengthening of Ropar-Doraha road NH-1, Sikar to Bikaner NH-11, Jalandhar-Amritsar and Amritsar-Tarn Taran.
Ø Six-laning of Jaipur-Ajmer Ring Road.
Ø Koderma-Tilaiya broad gauge line, Guna-Etawah broad gauge line, Sabroom-Agartala broad gauge line,Haridas-Paradip new broad gauge line in Cuttack, JNPT broad gauge line for DFCCIL.
Ø Transmission lines in Chandwa-Gaya, Korba-Jabalpur, Ambasa-Gandacherra in Tripura, Bareilly-Kashipur, Mugaliachhap-Bhopal, Sasaram-Daltonganj, Paranbati II to Koldam in Himachal Pradesh,Dharamjaigarh-Jabalpur.
Ø Irrigation projects – Gunjwani, KariwaliDhariwali (Maharashtra)
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