LUCKNOW, June 2 -- The Centre on Monday granted environmental clearance to the Bundelkhand Industrial Development Authority's Greenfield Industrial City (BIDA Master Plan-2045) project in Jhansi, giving a major push to industrial development in the region, the Uttar Pradesh government said. The project, to be developed over 253.33 sq km (62,599 acres) across 33 villages of Jhansi tehsil, received clearance from the Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change after completing the environmental approval process under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. According to the government, the ministry's Expert Appraisal Committee reviewed the project at various stages, including after a public hearing held in Jhansi on December 22, 2025, before recommending environmental clearance. Under the revised master plan, 83.66 sq km (33.02%) has been earmarked for industrial development, including agro and food processing, textiles, defence manufacturing, data centres and electric vehicle industries. Nearly 25% of the area will be preserved as green and recreational space, while 29.30 sq km has been allocated for transport and logistics infrastructure. The project incorporates several sustainability measures, including a 50-metre green belt along the project boundary and a 150-metre green belt around Dongri Dam. Water requirements will be met from Rajghat Dam, while treated water will be reused under a zero-liquid-discharge system. BIDA also plans to establish sewage treatment and common effluent treatment plants. BIDA CEO Sanjay Kumar Khatri said the project would be developed as a modern, sustainable and environment-friendly industrial smart city. htc...