Over half-a-dozen industrial and construction projects,stalled for more than one year,may now get the green signal for development in Ghaziabad and Noida as the Ministry of Environment and Forest (MoEF) has lifted the moratorium imposed on the expansion of industries in four industrial areas of Noida,Ghaziabad,Agra and Varanasi-Mirzapur. The MoEF lifted the moratorium for consideration of new projects in these areas on March 31. Environment department officials in UP said no project was pending for environment clearance in Agra and Varanasi-Mirzapur. But six projects were stalled in Noida and Ghaziabad as moratorium was imposed before their consideration for environment clearance last year. These six projects are Aerens Europark multiplex and hotel complex at Ghaziabad; factory building project of Haldiram Snacks in Noida; office-cum-retail complex of Delhi Chemical and Pharmaceutical Works in Sahibabad,Rathi Super Steel in Ghaziabad; Rishabh Business Park in Sahibabad and a 400-MW gas-based power plant of Noida Power Company at Jaun Samana in Greater Noida. As MoEF has lifted the moratorium,request letters are being called from the owners of these projects for their consideration for environmental clearance, said Dr Yashpal Singh,Environment Director,UP. In January last year,the MoEF had imposed temporary restriction on consideration of new development projects in such 43 industrial clusters across the country identified as critically polluted. First the moratorium was imposed up to August 31,2010. Later,it was extended up to October 31,2010 and further up to March 31 this year for 38 industrial clusters,including six of UP,as the action plans to deal with pollution in these areas were not finalised.
