The clearance process for highways expansion has been simplified by the Union Environment Ministry. The simplification comes following intense pressure to speed up the process to aid infrastructure development including setting up townships and area-development projects. A notification to this effect was issued by the Ministry recently.    P>Based on the recommendations of a committee headed by K Kasturirangan, Planning Commission member and former ISRO chief, the government has taken the decision to identify ways to speed up clearances for roads, buildings and special economic zones.    

Projects to expand national highways by up to 100 kilometres, which involve additional right of way or land acquisition up to 40 metres on existing alignments and 60 metres on re-alignments or by-passes, will no longer come under the purview of the Environmental Impact Assessment Notification, 2006.    

A similar exemption has been given for township and area development projects with an area of 50 hectares or more, and projects with a built up area of 1,50,000 sq mt or more.