India, Feb. 9 -- The Union environment ministry has exempted expansion of hydroelectric and river valley projects, that do not involve a change in reservoir capacity or key design components, from fresh cumulative impact assessment and carrying capacity studies.

An office memorandum issued by the by the Impact Assessment Division of MoEFCC said that the ministry received representation from the ministry of power regarding exemption from impact assessment studies for expansion proposal of existing projects in a given river basin.

"The matter has been examined in consultation with the expert appraisal committee (EAC), river valley and hydroelectric projects and accordingly it is clarified that expansion proposals of existing HEPs, which d...