Environment Ministry to set up Integrated Regional Office in Vijayawada

Nellore: The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has decided to set up an Integrated Regional Office (IRO) at Vijayawada in October. The ministry issued a notification on August 13 regarding the reorganization of regional or sub-regional offices across the country.

As per the order, the IROs will be established with the redeployment of resources from 10 regional offices of the ministry; three regional offices of the Forest Survey of India (FSI); 3 regional centres of the National Tiger Conservation Authority (NTCA); 4 regional offices of the Central Zoo Authority (CZA) and 5 regional and 3 sub-regional offices of the Wildlife Crime Control Bureau (WCCB).

These IRO will have the combined strength, including the ministry's 319 personnel, NTCA (6), CZA (4), and WCCB (74). Now, all the offices will be under one roof and the Integrated Regional Offices (IROs) will be headed by Deputy Director-General of Forest (Dy DGF) called as Regional Officer.

"The move is useful for granting clearances for industries, roads, mining, coal, irrigation projects, cement and power projects swiftly. The process of applications for various purposes would be speeded up by these regional offices.

Earlier, one had to approach the Chennai office for approvals, renewals, extensions, and inspections, said Prof YV Rami Reddy, Member, Expert Appraisal Committee of Industry, Ministry of Environment, Forests & Climate Change.