Amendments in the EIA Notification, 2006 dated 01.07.2016 related to environmental clearance for minor minerals and environment clearance for leases in cluster

Whereas by notification of the Government of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forest number S.O. 1533 (E), dated the 14th September, 2006 published in the Gazette of India, Extraordinary, Part II, Section 3, Sub-section (ii) (hereinafter referred to as the said notification) directions has been given on environmental clearance for minor minerals and environment clearance for leases in cluster. The provision of cluster in the said notification is causing practical difficulty in the State of Rajasthan, where a large number of small size (15×30 sq. mt or 30×60 sq. mt) leases and quarry licenses are operational for many years. A large number of such leases have been granted years before, and have been further fragmented with family partitions. These mines are located adjacent to each other leaving no space between two leases, which make it difficult to prepare and implement Environment Management Plan for individual leases.