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New Delhi, September 08, 2021:
The constitution of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority and State Level Expert Appraisal Committee was notified in line with the Kejriwal Government’s proposal. Environment Minister Gopal Rai said that with the committee in place, it will be easier to handle applications; and the Environment Impact Assessment will get more robust and transparent in the state. He added that environment protection is a prime responsibility of the Kejriwal Government and it won’t compromise upon the standards.
Sarvagya Kumar Srivastava has been appointed as the Chairman of SEIAA and Reena Gupta as member. Delhi Government’s Special Secretary (Environment) will be member secretary.
The constitution of State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and of the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) has been done for Delhi for a 3-year term.
Environment Minister Gopal Rai said, “Category ‘B’ projects requiring environmental clearance will not have to wait for the central government’s approval and approval will now be given in a fast-tracked manner by the Delhi Government itself. As much as fast tracking will be a sought after solution, we will also make the system more robust and transparent. Environment protection is one of the prime responsibilities of the Delhi Government and we will not compromise upon it.”
Delhi Government had sent its proposal for reconstitution of SEIAA/SEAC, along with names of experts, to the Central Government in 2020 and, after multiple correspondence and meetings, the notification was finally issued. It is to be noted that as per the Environment Protection Rules, all category ‘A’ projects (mega projects) are approved by an Expert Appraisal Committee of the MoEFCC while all category ‘B’ projects (large projects) are approved by the State Level Authority (SEIAA).
The authority will meet monthly, leading to faster decision making and lower pendency of cases. The authority can also mandate regular inspection of project sites which have been granted Environment Clearance (EC) to ensure that they are complying with all norms. If any project is found to be in violation, the authority can take appropriate decisions to ensure compliance to environmental norms including revocation of EC if severe violations are found. Any citizen who finds any project site in violation of norms can also contact the authority to apprise them of any violations or discuss any ideas.
As per the gazette notification, Sarvagya Kumar Srivastava will be chairman of the SEIAA, Reena Gupta will be member and Special Secretary of Environment Department of Govt. of Delhi will be the Member Secretary. The SEIAA is bound to take its decision on the recommendations of the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC). The Central Government also notified the constitution of the SEAC comprising a chairman, 11 members and a Member Secretary.
Reena Gupta, Member, SEIAA said, “We are very happy that Delhi SEIAA has been reconstituted by the Central Government. Now approval and monitoring decisions can be taken at the State Level. We look forward to making the EIA process more robust and transparent as envisaged under the law.”
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