New Delhi, Nov. 28 -- The Union environment ministry has clarified a 'specific condition' in the environmental impact assessment (EIA) notification, 2006 in order to facilitate the establishment of industrial estates/complexes where individual industrial units within those estates do not require separate environmental clearance. "The Ministry has received representations requesting procedural facilitation for the establishment of Industrial Estates/Complex in terms of the provisions contained in the Specific Condition in the EIA Notification, 2006, as amended, wherein individual projects and/or activities may be set up on the basis of appraisal done for grant of Environmental Clearance (EC) to the Industrial Estate/Complex, precluding the need for separate appraisal for each individual project and/or activity again," an memo issued by the environment ministry on November 25 stated. The clarification comes as India seeks to boost manufacturing and streamline environmental clearances to position itself as a global manufacturing hub. The move aligns with the government's broader effort to ease compliance requirements for industries. The specific condition in the EIA notification states that if any industrial estate/complex /export processing zone/special economic zone/biotech park/leather complex with homogeneous type of industries or those industrial estates with pre-defined set of activities (not necessarily homogeneous) obtains prior environmental clearance, individual industries, including proposed industrial housing within such estates/complexes, will not be required to take prior environmental clearance, so long as the terms and conditions for the industrial estate/complex are complied with (such estates/complexes must have a clearly identified management with the legal responsibility of ensuring adherence to the terms and conditions of prior environmental clearance, who may be held responsible for violation of the same throughout the life of the complex/estate). Now, the centre has clarified that the 'pre-defined set of activities' in respect of an industrial estate/complex would mean essential information needed for a comprehensive environmental appraisal of the project by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC)/ State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) to adhere to precautionary principle during the appraisal process. These include: Information regarding various categories of projects and/or activities proposed to be set up in the industrial estate/complex; industries/operations/processes, including their categorisation into red, orange, green, blue and white categories as per the extant Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) classification; information regarding proposed common infrastructure such as greenbelt, boilers, common effluent treatment plant (CETP), common bio-medical waste management facility (CBWTF), road infrastructure, water supply, drainage system, treatment storage and disposal facility (TSDF), sewage treatment plant (STP), effluent treatment plant (ETP), municipal solid waste (MSW) management facility, electricity-related infrastructure; proposed layout plan clearly indicating the key zones/areas earmarked for the location of projects/activities/industries/operations/processes and common infrastructure; information on the quantity of effluents among others. "Upon comprehensive appraisal of EIA/environment management plan reports in respect of Industrial Estate/Complex by the EAC/SEAC and grant of environmental clearance in respect of such project by the competent regulatory authority, separate appraisal shall not be required for establishing each individual project or activity within such Industrial Estate/Complex including their modernization, expansion, or change in product mix and they shall be regulated through Consent to Establish (CTE)/Consent to Operate (CTO) issued under Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974," the OM states. There is also no requirement for amendment in the EC for Industrial Estate/Complex if there is no increase in pollution load of the industrial estate/complex. "The memo on November 25 indicates that individual units located within an industrial estate/complex are not required to obtain a separate Environmental Clearance (EC) - even if they fall under categories that normally require EC - provided certain strict conditions are fully met by the Industrial Estate. The exemption for individual projects depends entirely on the scope and conditions of the Environmental Clearance granted to the parent Industrial Estate. Many industrial activities normally fall under the Schedule of the EIA Notification, 2006 and would independently require an EC. So I think it is very important that during appraisal of the entire industrial estate, pollution load is carefully assessed to avoid unforeseen environmental impacts," said an EIA consultant who did not wish to be named....