Forest clearance is now granted within 200 days: Government

New Delhi, Jul 25 The government has reduced the average time taken for granting forest clearance to various projects to 200 days, Rajya Sabha was informed today.

"Forest clearances are given in two stages. Stage I takes average time of 180 days in which the applications are processed at different levels in the state forest department."

"On receipt of satisfactory compliance of conditions regarding levies towards compensatory afforestation and NPV (of forest) along with other conditions, Stage II clearance is accorded," Environment Minister Anil Madhav Dave said in a written reply.

Asked whether the average time taken for granting forest clearance has been reduced from 430 days to 200 days, he replied in the affirmative.

Dave's predecessor in the Environment Ministry, Prakash Javadekar had earlier said that in line with the government's policy of ease of doing business, the average waiting period for approval of projects has been brought down to 190 days from 600 days during the UPA regime and the aim was to further reduce it to 100 days.

"Earlier average waiting period for project approval was 600 days. Now it has come down to 190 days without compromising on any environmental condition and actually making environmental condition more stringent. This is in a way revolution," he had told PTI in an interview.

PTI