In 10 years, top wildlife watchdog approved 96% of infra projects

WIldlife preservation OversightThe Standing citizens committee of the subject room for Wildlife (SC-NBWL) — bharat’s top wildlife conservation watchdog — approved 96.5% of industrial and infrastructure projects proposed on protected forest land it assessed over the past decade, according to an analysis of official records, as campaigners accuse the body of rubber-stamping clearances with little scrutiny.A scrutiny of minutes-of-meeting data available online since 2016 shows that across the 52 meetings held in this period, 2,448 development proposals were placed before the committee: 572 were deferred, and of the 1,876 considered, 1,810 were cleared and 66 rejected.The functioning of both the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) and its standing committee has been under criticism by experts, with a recent petition filed before the Delhi high court by 10 conservationists and activists last week claiming the SC-NBWL was “recklessly clearing projects” at a high approval rate.On the plea, the Delhi HC pulled up the Centre on Wednesday for “treating every statutory body as an extension of the government’s arm.”A bench of chief justice DK Upadhyaya and justice Tejas Karia sought a response from the government in four weeks’ time. “…If what the (petitioners’ lawyer) says is correct…see the composition of the Board… highest level functionaries of the country are members, and if the (Wildlife Act provisions) says Standing committee will be constituted by the Board, not the government, can’t you differentiate simply between a statutory board and the functions of the government?” CJ Upadhyaya said.The Standing Committee’s decisions carry outsized weight. It is the primary body through which projects seeking land within national parks, sanctuaries and tiger reserves are cleared, and with the full Board meeting only rarely, its approvals are, in effect, final.The SC-NBWL exercises powers delegated by the full Board and is responsible for appraising projects that require wildlife clearances. Prior to its last meeting in 2025, NBWL met in 2012, as per publicly available records, though it is mandated to meet at least once a year.NBWL is chaired by the Prime Minister and includes Members of Parliament, representatives of state governments, central ministries, government research institutions, five representatives of non-governmental organisations and 10 eminent conservationists and ecologists nominated by the Centre.The SC-NBWL is headed by the Union environment minister, with the additional director general of forests (Wildlife) as its member secretary, and also includes the secretary, environment, and the Director General of Forests & Special Secretary (DGF&SS), among other members and experts.The decade-long data assessment shows consistently high approval rates. In 2018, 2021 and the first meeting of 2026, every proposal considered was approved — none were rejected. Even in 2020, when the committee recorded its lowest approval rate, it cleared 82 of the 92 projects considered — an approval rate of about 89%.Of the two meetings held in 2026, the data assessed covers only one — held in March 2026, where 70 proposals were presented; nine were deferred and the remaining 61 considered were cleared. The latest SC-NBWL meeting, its 91st, was held in Coimbatore on July 9. Over 100 proposals were considered, though the minutes of meeting are not yet available.As per the agenda, 118 proposals were listed for appraisal, including 24 defence sector projects, 23 related to roads and bridges, and 12 power transmission lines.“The Standing Committee considered more than 100 proposals across the country involving activities such as roads and bridges, defence infrastructure, drinking water supply, communication towers…the proposals were appraised on the basis of their ecological impacts, importance for public welfare and national development and the adequacy of mitigation measures to ensure conservation for wildlife and their habitats,” a statement by the government on Thursday said.Experts said the NBWL and its Standing Committee should be judged not on approval or rejection rates, but on the time spent clearing each project.“Even in the latest Coimbatore meeting, over 100 proposals were considered in just over an hour or so. The message that came out was that it was almost a matter of pride with which these projects had been cleared,” said environmental lawyer Ritwick Dutta, who is also part of the Legal Initiative for Forest and Environment (LIFE). “We have no problems in a project being cleared, if it is done with due consideration and all checks and balances are followed. However, at present, it appears this is not being done. In meetings, over 100 to 150 projects are being heard and cleared within an hour or two. How are proper scientific and legal minds being applied in such a short window?” he added.Government’s own data, presented in Parliament, showed that between April 2019 and March 2024, approximately 95,724.99 hectares of forest land within wildlife sanctuaries and national parks was diverted for non-forestry development projects, with 881 such projects approved — including railway tracks, road widening and mining.Retired IFS officer MI Varghese said that while in the past an in-depth assessment was carried out before clearances were given, the process now seems more rushed.“The sheer number of proposals being accepted is worrying. Not enough time is being spent on the projects, to assess the ecological impacts. Site visits are also needed, alongside a proper study to identify how a project may impact the area and its surroundings,” Varghese said.