Ministry to assess large green projects: Ramesh

Union environment and forests minister Jairam Ramesh said his ministry would conduct environmental impact assessment of large projects located in ecologically sensitive areas through a third party soon.

He also said if the large projects were coming up in a small designated area then the cumulative environmental impact assessment, instead of individual assessment, covering all the projects needed to be done to understand the real environmental impact on that particular area.

Addressing  a meet on green landscape held by the Green Business Council here on Saturday, the minister said old assumptions such as locating all thermal power plants in coastal areas to address the water problem were not be taken for granted anymore in the light of recent experiences in Andhra and elsewhere.

Citing the cancellation of environmental clearances to the two large power projects in Andhra Pradesh, the minister said the Centre would not allow projects in ecologically sensitive areas such as wet lands, which were hitherto termed as wastelands by the revenue department.

Though the country needs to promote economic activity on coastal areas, it doesn't mean the aspects of safety and conservation are to be compromised, he pointed out.

With new environmental regulatory laws coming into force in January this year, his ministry would pay a closer look at the ecologically sensitive areas in terms of their capacity to withstand any impact from industrial projects.

"If the Posco project is found to be in an area prone to erosion then they have to find some other place to build the project," he said.