Hyderabad: Irrigation minister N Uttam Kumar Reddy has asked officials to speed up the process to secure environmental clearances (ECs) pending for four major irrigation projects — Palamuru-Rangareddy lift irrigation scheme, Sitarama Sagar, Dindi and Gouravelli — in the wake of the recent Supreme Court judgment laying down clear guidelines on EC procedures. He said the process should be completed with a time-bound and focused approach.Speaking at a review meeting with irrigation officials along with two other ministers Ponguleti Srinivasa Reddy and Ponnam Prabhakar on Monday, the minister said the judgment had provided ample clarity on the legal position concerning projects with valid ECs, pending applications, rejected proposals and applications seeking post-facto approval. He directed the officials to use the opportunity to pursue every eligible case expeditiously with the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change and other statutory authorities.The minister laid down a roadmap for processing the clearances. “Nodal officers must be designated and all available records consolidated within seven days. Updated environmental studies, compliance reports, land records and legal documents should be completed within 30 days, while the principal administrative and application-processing stages should be concluded within 60 days,” he said.THe directed to officials to equip themselves with the complete history of every project, including the original clearance, subsequent changes in scope, redesign, expansion or relocation, pending applications, court cases, compliance requirements and penalties, if any.The minister stressed that environmental, forest, rehabilitation, land-acquisition and compensation-related issues must be addressed before significant alterations are made to project designs. Such compliance was essential not only to avoid litigation but also to safeguard the legitimate interests of farmers, landowners and project-affected families, he added.
