The government has doubled the initial validity of environmental clearances for ports, harbours, breakwaters and dredging projects to 20 years, with provisions for two further extensions of five years each.
The revised framework was notified through an amendment to the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. The change brings the validity period for these projects closer to the longer approval periods available for mining projects.
Under the new rules, environmental clearance will initially remain valid for 20 years. An additional five-year extension can be granted after examination by the Expert Appraisal Committee or State-level Expert Appraisal Committee.
A further five-year extension may be allowed in deserving cases where the project has still not become operational after the first extension. Such an extension will be subject to additional environmental safeguards being incorporated into the project’s Environmental Management Plan.
The validity period was earlier set at 10 years, with the possibility of a one-year extension. The environment ministry had reviewed the framework after concerns that the existing period was insufficient for port and harbour projects, which generally involve long gestation periods and phased development.
The issue was also discussed during a stakeholder consultation held on June 16 under the chairmanship of Shipping Secretary Vijay Kumar. The Ministry of Ports, Shipping and Waterways had sought reconsideration of the validity period so that environmental and Coastal Regulation Zone clearances could correspond to the project period or extend up to 30 years, similar to the framework applicable to mining projects.
The matter had initially been considered by the sectoral expert appraisal committee, which recommended a 15-year validity period with a possible five-year extension. Following further deliberations on stakeholder comments and the shipping ministry’s request, the expert advisory committee recommended a 20-year validity period, extendable by another five years and, in deserving cases, by a further five years.
The final notification therefore allows the overall validity of eligible environmental clearances to extend to 30 years through successive extensions, subject to the prescribed appraisal and environmental safeguard requirements.
The revised provisions also apply to prior environmental clearances covered by the notification. The government has cited the long gestation periods and project-development timelines associated with ports, harbours, breakwaters and dredging activities as a reason for rationalising the validity period.
The change is expected to provide a longer regulatory window for projects that require extended development periods, while the extension provisions retain appraisal requirements and additional environmental safeguards for projects seeking to continue beyond the initial clearance period.