New Delhi, Dec. 15 -- The Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) is considering a proposal to allow state wildlife boards to consider the laying of slurry, petroleum and crude oil pipelines through roads inside protected forests and wildlife areas, an agenda of the panel's recent meeting revealed. The standing committee, which met on December 9, also discussed the finalisation of a standard operating procedure for cultural and religious institutions located within forest and wildlife areas. The Union environment ministry had constituted an expert committee to consider such proposals and has already sought comments from states on the expert committee report. Matters related to petroleum or crude oil pipelines were earlier considered in the NBWL meetings, but now, the standing committee has proposed that they can be cleared at the state level just like drinking water pipelines, optical fiber cables (OFC), telephone lines, electricity cables etc. The Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023 currently grant general approval for the use of forest land within the right of way (RoW) of roads for underground utilities. Currently, Para 12 of the revised guidelines of the Van (Sanrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Rules, 2023 delegates certain powers to the State Board for Wildlife (SBWL). Specifically, it allows the SBWL to grant approvals for the underground laying of drinking water pipelines, OFCs, and power lines up to 11 kilovolts within the permitted RoW of roads located inside national parks, wildlife sanctuaries, and tiger reserves notified under the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The NBWL has received several representations from the industrial associations to streamline approvals for slurry pipelines also. "In order to bring consistency between the Adhiniyam and the Wildlife Protection Rules, it is now proposed that the delegation of powers under Para 12 be further extended to include underground laying of slurry pipelines as well as petroleum or crude oil pipelines within the permitted RoW of roads inside these Protected Areas. This amendment will ensure that the regulatory framework for permissions in forest areas is parallel and harmonised across both the Adhiniyam rules and the Wildlife Protection Act, thereby facilitating streamlined approvals while maintaining ecological safeguards. Several representations from the industrial associations are also received in this regard," the agenda states. The SC NBWL's decision on the matter will be available once minutes of the meeting are published....