New Delhi: To ensure that environmental approvals are not delayed, the Union Environment Ministry has introduced two new interim state-level bodies that will take over whenever the tenure of State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEAC) ends.
The newly created Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment (SAEIA) and Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal (SCEIA) will automatically handle environmental clearance (EC) applications until new SEIAA and SEAC bodies are reconstituted.
The ministry said delays in renewing state-level authorities often halt the clearance process, forcing pending proposals to be transferred to the Centre, resulting in longer approval timelines and affecting project implementation.
Under the new system, the SAEIA will be chaired by the Chief Secretary or the Advisor to the Administrator/Lieutenant Governor, while the SCEIA will assist in project appraisal and include senior officials, the Chief Wildlife Warden, State Pollution Control Board representatives, and a technical expert from an IIT or NIT in the state or Union Territory.
The ministry has also amended the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, extending the tenure of SEIAA and SEAC from three years to four years. It has further directed that the process of reconstituting these bodies must begin at least six months before their tenure expires, ensuring uninterrupted environmental clearance for projects across the country.
