Section 6(6)(a) in The Forest (Conservation) Rules, 2003
(a)notwithstanding anything contained in these rules, proposal to obtain approval under the Act to undertake prospecting of minerals without felling of trees and construction of new road or path in mining blocks falling outside the protected areas, eco-sensitive zone of protected areas, identified tiger corridors and having no forest cover of more than forty percent crown density as per the latest India State of Forest Report published by the Forest Survey of India, shall also be submitted in a letter form along with a geo-referenced map indicating boundary of the prospecting block, location of each borehole site and roads or paths to be used for prospecting; and a certificate to the effect that the proposal meets the afore-mentioned requirements to the Nodal Officer;