MoEFCC Revises Right-of-Way (RoW) Guidelines for Transmission Lines in Forest Areas: Key Changes Explained
India has taken another significant step towards balancing infrastructure development with environmental conservation. The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has issued a circular dated 03.07.2026 (File No. 11/47/2023-FC) revising the Right-of-Way (RoW) requirements for power transmission lines passing through forest areas.
The revised guidelines have been issued under the Van (Samrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980, following the amendments made in the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) Amendment Regulations, 2025. The new norms encourage the use of advanced transmission technologies that require less forest land and significantly reduce tree felling.
What is Right-of-Way (RoW)?
Right-of-Way (RoW) refers to the land corridor required for constructing, operating, and maintaining electrical transmission lines safely. Traditionally, transmission lines passing through forest areas required wider corridors, resulting in extensive tree felling and diversion of forest land.
With the latest technological advancements in tower design and conductor systems, transmission corridors can now be made much narrower without affecting safety or operational efficiency.
Why Were the Guidelines Revised?
The Central Electricity Authority has introduced modern technical standards that promote:
- Improved tower configurations
- Smaller tower foundations
- Reduced wing spans
- Advanced high-performance conductors
- Narrower Right-of-Way corridors
According to the Ministry, these innovations can reduce the Right-of-Way requirement in forest areas by up to 20%, thereby minimizing the diversion of forest land and reducing the number of trees required to be felled.
Key Highlights of the Revised Guidelines
1. New RoW Standards for Future Projects
All new transmission line projects in forest areas using modern tower configurations and conductors must comply with the revised Right-of-Way widths prescribed under Schedule VII of the Central Electricity Authority (Technical Standards for Construction of Electrical Plants and Electric Lines) Amendment Regulations, 2025.
2. Existing Projects Remain Unchanged
Transmission projects using older tower and conductor configurations will continue to follow the existing Right-of-Way guidelines until they adopt the newer technology.
3. Ministry of Power to Promote New Technologies
The Ministry of Power will issue advisories to all States, Union Territories, and power transmission agencies encouraging the adoption of advanced tower designs and modern conductor technologies for future projects.
4. Older RoW Guidelines Will Be Replaced
Once modern technologies become widely adopted, the existing Right-of-Way provisions under the Consolidated Guidelines will be discontinued and replaced with the revised standards.
Environmental Benefits
The revised guidelines offer several environmental advantages:
- Up to 20% reduction in Right-of-Way width.
- Lower forest land diversion.
- Significant reduction in tree felling.
- Better protection of biodiversity.
- Reduced habitat fragmentation.
- Sustainable development of power transmission infrastructure.
- Improved balance between energy development and forest conservation.
Impact on Forest Clearance
The revised RoW standards will play an important role while processing forest clearance proposals for transmission line projects. Forest authorities and project proponents will now evaluate proposals based on the updated technical standards wherever new tower configurations are proposed.
This will reduce the environmental footprint of transmission projects while maintaining efficient electricity infrastructure.
Conclusion
The MoEFCC Circular dated 03.07.2026 is a major policy initiative aimed at integrating modern engineering with environmental conservation. By reducing the Right-of-Way requirement for transmission lines in forest areas, the Government seeks to minimize tree felling, reduce forest land diversion, and promote sustainable infrastructure development.
The revised guidelines are expected to benefit both the power sector and forest conservation efforts, ensuring that India's growing energy needs are met without compromising ecological sustainability.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1. What is the purpose of the revised RoW guidelines?
The guidelines aim to reduce forest land requirements and minimize tree felling by promoting advanced transmission technologies.
Q2. How much reduction in Right-of-Way is expected?
The revised standards can reduce the Right-of-Way requirement in forest areas by up to 20%.
Q3. Do the revised guidelines apply to existing transmission lines?
No. Existing transmission lines using older tower configurations will continue under the current guidelines until upgraded.
Q4. Under which law have these guidelines been issued?
They have been issued under the Van (Samrakshan Evam Samvardhan) Adhiniyam, 1980.
 Guidelines for Transmission Lines in Forest Areas 2026){kind=link}
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