Arunachal Minister : Oil exploration project stopped due to lack of forest clearance

Itanagar: Oil exploration project stopped ,Petroleum exploration activities in Arunachal Pradesh’s Tirap district had to be halted due to lack of necessary clearances from the state forest department as well as the Union environment ministry, a minister told the Assembly here on Thursday.
State Geology and Mining Minister Kamlung Mossang, while replying to a question, said that even a standing committee of the National Board of Wildlife (NBWL) has not yet given its nod to the project, which is located around the national park. I was to be initiated question by Congress MLA Wanglin Lowangdong.
Mossang also said that Oil India Limited (OIL) had initially submitted two clearance proposals to the state forest department and the Union environment ministry in 2016 and 2017 respectively.

He said that phase-1 was approved by the Center in August 2020 but phase-2 was not.
Since the Dihing-Pataki Wildlife Sanctuary, located 10 km from the petroleum exploration site at Deomali, was declared a national park by the Assam government in June last year, NBWL’s approval was also required. whose proposal is pending with the neighboring state. Minister explained.

Mossang also said that the Ministry of Petroleum and Natural Gas had approved the grant of a Petroleum Exploration License (PEL) to OIL in 1998 for an area of ​​356.16 square kilometers at Deomali in Tirup district.
Responding to another question, Minister for Environment and Forests Mama Natung said the project could not go ahead until the area around the park was marked as an eco-sensitive zone.