NEW DELHI: In a bid to end unnecessary delays in environmental clearance (EC) assessment projects, the Union environment ministry has proposed setting up a central body – Standing Committee on Environmental Impact Assessment (SCEIA) – for each state/Union Territory, which will assess projects when state-level expert groups are unable to function. The idea behind the proposal is to ensure continuity in the functioning of national-level committees by establishing a separate permanent body as a “temporary arrangement” to evaluate projects and grant regulatory environment clearances. This permanent body will be able to function and issue calls on green issues only after the establishment of a national-level body.In many cases, state-level committees are unable to function due to expiry of terms or other circumstances. This results in unnecessary delays in project evaluation.Based on experience over the years, the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology issued a draft notice on March 5 to solicit opinions from stakeholders. After processing these recommendations, a final decision on the establishment of a permanent establishment will be taken.“If the application for EC award is not reviewed by the relevant national-level expert review committee within 120 days from the date of submission of the complete application by the project sponsor, the application will be automatically forwarded to SCEIA through the PARIVESH portal for consideration, and SCEIA will evaluate the project and provide recommendations based on the circumstances and within the above time limits,” the ministry’s draft notification said.A day after notifying the draft, the Ministry of Environmental Protection issued a separate office memorandum (OM) on March 6 setting out guidelines to be followed by states, while sending recommendations on the restructuring of national-level environmental impact assessment agencies and expert review committees. It directed the states that the process of finalization of proposals for reconstitution of state-level panels may be initiated “early” so that proposals completed in all respects can reach the ministry at least six months before the expiration of the tenure of the state body.
