India’s Hydrocarbon Outlook 2024 194 A Report on Exploration & Production Activities Delinking of PEL/PML from FC: No approval is required for assignment of Petroleum Exploration License(PEL) or Petroleum Mining Lease(PML) where the physical possession or breaking of forest land is not involved Compensatory Afforestation: It is a mandatory process for mitigating the impacts of human activities on the environment and for promoting sustainable development. The MoEF&CC in consultation of States/UTs has taken cognizance of this fact and has facilitated the creation of land banks, a step towards ease of doing business. Accredited Compensatory Afforestation (ACA): Compensatory afforestation refers to planting activities done in lieu of diversion of forest for non-forest purposes such as mining, setting up of an industry or an infrastructure project. Earlier, a project developer had to provide land which is not notified as forest against forest diversion and had to bear the cost of undertaking compensatory afforestation over the same piece of land. The new rules, however, make way for private individuals who develop such plantation sites on their own land and sell them to project developers. Now, anyone can raise a plantation on his land and get benefitted from it. This is a positive step towards encouraging agroforestry and also a move towards sustainable development. Furthermore, all entities registered for accredited compensatory afforestation shall register with the Green Credit Registry under the Green Credit Policy Implementation Rules, 2023 and besides their eligibility for compensatory afforestation in lieu of diversion of forest land, the accredited compensatory afforestation will also be eligible for allocation of green credits under the Green Credit Policy Implementation Rules, 2023. 8.3 Advances vis-à-vis Protected Areas: Protected areas, recognized for their natural, ecological, or cultural values, are safeguarded under the National Wildlife Action Plan (20022016) of the MoEF&CC. State Governments must declare land within 10 km of national parks and wildlife sanctuaries as Eco-Sensitive Zones (ESZs) under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This 10 km rule can extend beyond for ecologically significant corridors. In 2019, the Directorate General of Hydrocarbons (DGH) prioritized finalizing ESZs near 52 protected areas with oil and gas potential. As a result, 36 ESZs are finalized, and 16 are under review, enhancing the Exploration and Production (E&P) industry’s capabilities.
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