I tried starting a manufacturing unit in India

Author of the article here. Do ask me if you have any questions.

It's interesting because you can see how theoretically any of these requirements would be a reasonable step before starting a manufacturing operations. I know in silicon valley for example many environmental problems were caused by insufficient oversight of manufacturing. However, the road to hell is paved with good intentions, as described in the article. I'm sorry to hear this is happening and I wish you good luck in challenging this process.

Maybe a default-yes approach would be more efficient. You should be required to post notice of your plans to these offices, then they have two months to raise any objections. If they do not, then you can go ahead. If they do, they're required to keep the process moving or you can sue to remove the road block.

Yikes. It sucks that you had to go through this. I find it appalling that so many bureaucratic jobs exist only to sustain their own existence: providing little value to those who pay their salary via taxes.

Do you think this process would've been (significantly?) simpler if it wasn't agricultural land involved?

What can I do to help? Whatever I possibly can do, I will try, I am in Jaipur btw.

The problem here has nothing to do with unintended consequences.

These consequences are very much intended. The government adds these road blocks precisely so they can maximize the number of government workers who can milk money out of you.

Western developed countries have an order of magnitude more permissions that need to be approved. The difference is that the more sensible ones will consolidate all the requirements from all the different agencies and require you to make a single (or maybe a couple) submissions.

You will likely be required to submit more stuff, but those will be in subsequent problems in response to specific issues that come up.