The government has doubled the validity of environmental clearances for ports, harbours, breakwaters and dredging projects to 20 years from the existing 10 years, with provisions for two further five-year extensions subject to safeguards. The amendment to the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, applies to new projects as well as ongoing projects with active clearances. Extensions beyond 20 years will require examination by the expert appraisal committee and may involve additional environmental safeguards.
The reform is intended to provide greater certainty for long-gestation, phased port projects and support investment, as India targets 10,000 million tonnes per annum (mtpa) of port capacity by 2047, compared with the current 2,762 mtpa.