New Delhi, Oct. 13 -- The Union environment ministry has decided to downgrade the environmental assessments needed for all expansion/modernisation activities of airports. In an office memorandum dated September 30, uploaded on environment ministry's Parivesh website this week, the environment ministry has said that it has received a representation from the Airports Authority of India seeking rationalisation of EC (environmental clearance) requirements for expansion activities confined within the existing boundaries of airports. It has been submitted that under the flagship UDAN (Ude Desh ka Aam Nagrik) scheme, air travel is being expanded to improve accessibility and affordability, and the Krishi UDAN scheme has facilitated movement of agri...