NEW DELHI, June 12: In its bid to facilitate environmental clearances for port developmental activities, the government has decided to give powers for environment-related approvals for fresh projects on the existing ports to the Ministry of Surface Transport (MoST). The decision, necessitated by long delays in environmental clearances for mega projects, has been approved by the Committee of Secretaries (CoS).

Hitherto, these clearances were given by the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF). The logic behind this is that the existing ports already have an environmental clearance and so giving a fresh one for new projects here is not something which needs to be looked at into again by the MoEF.

MoSt sources said the government had already initiated the process of setting up an empowered committee to take up fresh projects on the 11 major ports for environmental clearances. The proposed committee will have representatives from the Ministries of Environment and Forests, Petroleum and Natural Gas and Surface Transport. It would deal with developmental activities like dredging, reclamation, construction of berths, addition of equipments/floating craft and replacement of assets.

However, projects related to development of new ports will continue to require mandatory approvals from the Ministries of Environment and Forests. In addition, the Ministry of Environment and Forests, in consultation with MoST and Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas, will formulate fresh guidelines for facilities related to handling/storage of hazardous substances within the existing ports.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.