New Delhi: The Union environment ministry’s Forest Advisory Committee has allowed state governments to permit mining operations for all minerals on non-forest land contiguous with a forest, even before the final clearance is accorded.This decision, according to the Hindustan Times, has drawn criticism from legal experts and environmentalists.“The FAC, after detailed deliberations in the matter observed that in respect of mining leases involving forest as well as non-forest land, working on non-forest land without ensuring the separate mining plan or lease for such non-forest (part) of the lease may create fait accompli situations, which is not desirable in terms of directions contained in the Hon’ble Supreme Court orders,” the Union environment ministry said in a letter to state governments and UTs on February 3.“It is hereby clarified that after obtaining the Stage-I approval, deposition of compensatory levies and environment clearance, the State/UT Government or authorities concerned should prepare a separate Mining Plan or execute a separate mining lease for full or part of non-forest land involved in the mining lease before allowing mining operations in the non-forest land of such mining leases,” the letter said, according to the Hindustan Times.Earlier in November 2021, the FAC had allowed coal mining on non-forest land, but with certain conditions.Environmental experts had criticised this move. “A decision like this can be understood as a case where a regulation by exemption is resulting in reading down the intention of a statute which argues for an assessment-based approval. The viability of most mining or any other large infrastructure projects relies on accessibility to both forest and non-forest land. Initiating work on non-forest land prior to assessments of risks and costs of forest land diversion, can affect the implementation of the project if the assessments result in delayed or no approvals. Therefore, a process which is not based on sound environmental logic is also not in the interest of business,” Kanchi Kohli, legal researcher at the Centre for Policy Research, told Hindustan Times.