Environment Ministry Clears 29 Infra Projects in Northeast Over Two Years

The Environment Ministry has granted environmental clearance to 29 large infrastructure projects in the Northeastern states over the past two years, Parliament was informed on Thursday.

In a written reply to the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for Environment Kirti Vardhan Singh said that from April 1, 2023, to August 17, 2025, the ministry approved 29 environmental clearances (ECs) for projects in the region.

Assam received the majority of these approvals with 17 projects, followed by Tripura with six. Meghalaya secured three clearances, while Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Sikkim received one each, Singh added.

The minister explained the rigorous process of granting ECs, saying it "involves defined steps including site-specific scoping, baseline environmental studies, public consultations and appraisal by the expert committees" to ensure ecological concerns are addressed.

The reply was in response to a question on whether the government had evaluated the environmental impacts of large-scale projects in the Northeast’s sensitive ecosystems, including a recent Jamia Millia Islamia report warning that climate change is reducing agricultural yields and threatening food security.

While not directly referring to the report, Singh noted that the government has implemented several schemes to address climate variability, erratic rainfall, floods, and drought-like conditions affecting agriculture in the region. These initiatives include the National Action Plan on Climate Change, state-level plans, National Mission for Sustainable Agriculture, National Innovations on Climate Resilient Agriculture, and the Mission Organic Value Chain Development for the Northeastern region, among others. 

He added that collaborative efforts with state governments, ICAR, and agricultural universities aim to build "adaptive capacities, promote sustainable practices and safeguard food security in the region."

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