The government is set to introduce stricter regulations for the extraction of ordinary earth for linear projects like roads and pipelines. This comes after a Supreme Court ruling that criticized the previous exemption for such projects from obtaining prior environmental clearance.
The proposed amendments to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification will define “linear projects” more clearly and specify the amount of earth that can be extracted. Additionally, it will establish a mechanism for monitoring and enforcing environmental safeguards during the extraction process.
The government is aiming to balance the need for development with environmental protection through these revised rules.
