Replying to a question in Lok Sabha, environment minister Prakash Javadekar on Wednesday said that 276 villages in Andhra Pradesh, four in Chhattisagarh and eight in Odisha are likely to be submerged due to Polavaram project. “An area of 3427.52 hectares of forest land in Andhra Pradesh is estimated to be inundated,“ Javadekar said in a written reply. He was replying to a question whether the government conducted an environmental impact assessment of Polavaram project and the villages and forest land which are likely to be submerged and destroyed. He said the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) study, which is mandatory for environmental clearance, was conducted in accordance with Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 1994, and accordingly an Environment Management Plan (EMP) was prepared to mitigate impact on catchment area, biodiversity, aquatic life, health and project-affected people among other aspects. He said the environmental clearance to the Polavaram Multipurpose Project was accorded on October 25, 2005, in accordance with the EIA Notification 1994. Replying to another question, he said EC cases were dealt with as per procedure prescribed by EIA Notification 2006. This notification has been amended from time to time based on experience gained and with a view to further rationalising the process. He said that a notification, dated 25.06.2014, has been issued recently, amending the EIA notification 2006, thereby delegating more powers to StateLevel Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs) for granting EC and further streamlining the process. PTI Environment minister Prakash Javadekar was replying to a question whether the government conducted an environmental impact assessment of the project and the villages and forest land which are likely to be destroyed