The Andhra Pradesh Pollution Control Board (APPCB) has served notices on 2,680 mining and industrial projects in the State for not filing their two consecutive half-yearly Environmental Clearance (EC) compliance reports to the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). The projects that have been slapped with notices include the existing and ongoing ones.

The project proponents should submit their half-yearly compliance reports to the regulatory authority SEIAA, Andhra Pradesh, or to the regional office of the Ministry of Environment Forest and Climate Change at Chennai on regular basis as per the conditions stipulated in the EC order for the category ‘B’ projects. The compliance reports should be submitted on June 1 and December 1 of every year.

Submission of compliance report is mandatory as per Section 10 of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification for post- EC monitoring. Non-submission of the report is also a violation of general condition of prior EC and may lead to violation of Section 20 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 and may attract action, including revocation of EC by the SEIAA.

Chief Minister Y.S. Jagan Mohan Reddy recently held a review meeting with Principal Secretary, Environment Forest Science and Technology, Neerabh Kumar Prasad on environmental protection and pollution scenario in the State.

It had been found that many proponents of category ‘B’ projects had not been submitting their compliance reports in time. The APPCB had issued a circular on July 9 warning project proponents against non-compliance with the rules.

The State Government had notified the APPCB as the monitoring agency to ensure compliance by project proponents with the terms and conditions of environmental and CRZ (Coastal Regulatory Zone) clearance granted by the SEIAA and the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority (DEIAA).