Now Reading: No renewable projects within 1 km of border: MHA
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No renewable projects within 1 km of border: MHA
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has banned all new solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects within 1 km of India's international borders, including the Line of Control and Line of…
The Story in Brief
The Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) has banned all new solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects within 1 km of India's international borders, including the Line of Control and Line of Actual Control. Projects between 1 km and 50 km from these borders require security clearance from the MHA, while those between 1 km and 20 km also need a No Objection Certificate from the Ministry of Defence.
The guidelines, issued amid rising applications in border areas, prohibit hiring engineers, staff or labour from Pakistan, Bangladesh and China without MHA permission. Developers cannot transfer land to foreign companies without central approval. Projects that already received clearance before these rules are exempt. Security infrastructure like anti-drone systems must be installed at the developer's cost.
The Indian Opinion
Some will argue these restrictions slow India's renewable energy push at a time when targets loom large. But national security cannot be a bargaining chip. The border is too sensitive for unfettered construction; past inaction justified tougher rules. The real test is implementation: will the case-by-case approvals for projects up to 50 km be fast enough to avoid gridlock? Watch how quickly the MHA decides the first 10 applications.
Sources (2): thehindu.com, hindustantimes.com
This story was synthesised by AI from the 2 sources linked above.
Updated: this story now draws on 2 sources.
