New norm approved by Forest Ministry waives major clause for highway projects
IN another decision that tweaks current environmental pre-requisites for infrastructure projects, the Central government has asked states to make the Ministry of Road Transport and Highways (MoRTH) the ‘user agency’, in place of executing state agencies, to be able to get an exemption from a clause that makes it mandatory to make available equal measure of non-forest land in exchange for forest land diverted for national highway projects.
The decision, vetted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF), was conveyed to all states by a letter issued by MoRTH on June 30.
