Around 300 projects in Telangana await green clearances

For the past ten months, the environmental clearances for major industrial and real estate projects in Telangana are stuck in limbo as state-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) are not formed. SEIAA and SEAC term was over on April 30, 2018, and the last meeting was held on April 21. On an average, the committee holds two meetings every month and clears at least 40 to 50 applications in every meeting. Around 300 applications are pending and most are related to real estate projects, minor minerals mining leases and pharma companies. The committee formation is delayed due to polls. According to MoEF notification, ‘A’ category projects require environment clearance from the Centre and ‘B’ category projects from SEIAA after recommendation from SEAC.