India bars employment of personnel from land border countries in renewable energy projects within 1km of border

The Indian Home Ministry has issued a slew of new guidelines prohibiting any new solar, wind and hybrid renewable energy projects within 1 km of the border and barring the employment of engineers, staff, employees and labour from land border countries, especially Pakistan, Bangladesh and China, for project implementation without the permission of the government.

Under the guidelines issued by the Ministry's Internal Security wing, areas within 50 km of the Line of Control (LOC), Line of Actual Control (LAC) or the international border have been designated as "sensitive areas".

Projects proposed within 20 km of the border will also require a separate No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Ministry of Defence.

These requirements are part of fresh guidelines issued by the MHA for granting national security clearance to solar, wind and hybrid projects proposed in border areas.

The guidelines further state that project developers cannot transfer land to a foreign company without prior approval from the federal government, including security clearance from the Home Ministry.

Under the guidelines, security clearance for projects located between 1 km and 50 km from the border and NOCs for projects located between 1 km and 20 km from the border will be assessed by the Home Ministry and the Defence Ministry on a case-by-case basis.

Existing renewable energy projects near the LAC with China are mostly small-scale in nature, while those near the international border in Rajasthan and Gujarat are relatively large.

In Jammu and Kashmir, along the LOC, most projects are rooftop solar devices, while Kargil and Ladakh have solar photovoltaic projects.

Project proposals will be required to incorporate comprehensive security measures, including anti-drone systems to be operated by the Central Industrial Security Force (CISF) and the state police.

A dedicated police post will be required to monitor construction workers and the entry of foreign nationals during the construction phase of the renewable energy projects.

The projects will be required to build wide access roads that can also be used by the armed forces and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel during emergencies.

All project personnel must be verified before entering construction sites and will be required to follow instructions issued by local police and BSF authorities.

No housing, accommodation or cafeteria facilities that could attract crowds will be permitted within the construction area.

Any housing, accommodation or cafeteria facility must be located at least 5 km from the border, the guidelines say.