In line with the new legislation, the ministry has also drawn up a national policy on biodiversity. In a bid to protect the country's biodiversity, at the initiative of the environment ministry, the directorate general of foreign trade has banned exports of sand and soil.

The environment ministry has also asked the ministries of power, water resources and mines to set up special-purpose vehicles (SPVs), which will be responsible for plantation and environmental-maintenance measures. Under an earlier notification, these ministries are required to invest 1 per cent of the project cost for new plantations.

The three ministries are among the main users of forest land. In fact, the mining ministry came under criticism in the pastyear for causing extensive damage to forest cover in Karnataka. The need to exploit mining resources has, however, created a dilemma for the Government. A few months ago, the ministry constituted a committee to recommend a long-term strategy to balance the requirements of both. The report is in its final stages.

The environment ministry will also take efforts to regain some of the lost forest cover. The proposal has been initiated, wherein, the user will now have to pay the realisation cost of land in addition to the cost of compensatory forestation. Earlier, users of forest land were required to pay only the latter.

Users will also now have to work in the non-tangible cost of losing the forest cover arising from the project. The ministry has notified that the cost-benefit analysis of the development project will have to account for the loss of forest cover.

With both Government departments and corporates complaining about the delays in getting a forest clearance, the environment minister Suresh Prabhuhas decided to simplify the guidelines. The recommendation of the Expert Group headed by CD Pandey has been processed and sent to state governments for their comments.