The Centre on Thursday informed the Rajya Sabha that 20 infrastructure projects located wholly or partly within Protected Areas, Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZ), or Eco-Sensitive Areas (ESA) were granted environmental clearance during financial years 2024–25 and 2025–26. The disclosure came in response to a parliamentary query, with Minister of State for Environment, Forest and Climate Change Kirti Vardhan Singh detailing the regulatory framework governing such approvals.

What the Clearances Cover

According to Kirti Vardhan Singh, each environmental clearance is accompanied by project-specific safeguards designed to avoid, minimise, and mitigate adverse ecological impacts. These safeguards span wildlife protection, habitat conservation, pollution control, compensatory plantation, and environmental monitoring.

The minister emphasised that a scientific appraisal process is applied at the approval stage to ensure that ecologically sensitive landscapes receive adequate protection under each clearance condition.

The Multi-Tiered Scrutiny Mechanism

Projects requiring Wildlife Clearance within Protected Areas, ESZs, or forest areas are subject to a layered review process. At the first level, proposals are examined by the State Chief Wildlife Warden and the State Board for Wildlife.

The cases then move to the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change and the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL). The SCNBWL evaluates the ecological sensitivity of the area, cumulative and site-specific impacts on wildlife habitats and corridors, and the adequacy of proposed mitigation measures on a case-by-case basis.

'Thereafter, the cases are scrutinised by the Ministry and the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (SCNBWL), which examines the ecological sensitivity of the area, cumulative and specific impacts on wildlife habitats and corridors, and the proposed mitigation measures on a case-to-case basis,' Singh said.

Legal Safeguards in Place

The minister underscored that no construction or project-related activity can commence unless Wildlife Clearance is obtained under the provisions of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. Environmental Clearance is granted only after due consideration of environmental impacts and the incorporation of safeguards prescribed in the Environmental Management Plan (EMP).

Wildlife Clearance recommendations by the SCNBWL are issued only after a thorough assessment of impacts, mitigation measures, and appropriate safeguards — a process the minister described as comprehensive and case-specific.

Context and Significance

The disclosure comes amid sustained scrutiny from environmental groups and opposition lawmakers over the pace of infrastructure development in ecologically sensitive regions. India's protected area network covers roughly 5% of the country's geographical area, encompassing national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and conservation reserves. Critics argue that even with safeguards, cumulative approvals in ESZs can fragment wildlife corridors and accelerate habitat loss.

This is not the first time such clearances have drawn parliamentary attention — similar questions have been raised in previous sessions regarding the balance between development imperatives and ecological preservation. The government's position, as reiterated by Singh, is that the existing multi-tiered mechanism provides sufficient checks before any clearance is granted.

With infrastructure expansion continuing across sectors such as roads, power, and mining, the scrutiny of ESZ approvals is expected to intensify in coming parliamentary sessions.