Speed over scrutiny? Centre fast-tracks environmental clearances

The Environment Ministry has notified the constitution of two new standing bodies to fast-track environmental clearances in states and Union Territories, a move that has raised concerns over weaker scrutiny of potentially damaging projects and the risk of further environmental degradation.

The bodies will take over the functions of SEIAA (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority) and SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee) whenever the existing state-level institutions remain non-functional for more than one month because of an expired tenure, delays in reconstitution or a court-imposed stay.

While SEIAA grants environmental clearances, SEAC scrutinises projects and advises the authority. Environmental appraisal is intended to assess the potential ecological impact of projects before they are allowed to proceed.

The ministry had proposed the new mechanism in a draft notification in March, prompting experts to raise concerns that the eligibility criteria for members could weaken environmental scrutiny.

Unlike the Centre's EAC (Expert Appraisal Committee), and the SEIAA and SEAC under the EIA (Environment Impact Assessment) Notification, 2006, the chairpersons and all members of the new bodies are not required to possess domain expertise, such as 15 years of relevant experience or a PhD in a related field.

Experts have warned that reducing mandatory requirements for specialised environmental expertise in bodies responsible for appraising projects could dilute scrutiny of ecological impacts. Weaker appraisal could, in turn, increase the risk of environmentally damaging projects securing clearances without adequate assessment of their consequences.

The new bodies are called SAEIA (Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment) and SCEIA (Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal). The SCEIA will assist SAEIA in appraising projects for environmental clearance.

New bodies dominated by government officials

The SAEIA will comprise three members. The chief secretary, adviser to the administrator or lieutenant governor will serve as chairperson, while the principal chief conservator of forests, the head of the forest force, will be a member.

An officer of the state or Union Territory government serving as special secretary, joint secretary or deputy secretary in the environment department will act as member secretary.

The six-member SCEIA will be chaired by the administrative secretary of the environment department of the state or Union Territory.

Its members will include the chief wildlife warden, the director general or director of health services and the member secretary of the State Pollution Control Board or Union Territory Pollution Control Committee.

The committee will have one domain expert — the director or principal of an IIT (Indian Institute of Technology) or NIT (National Institute of Technology) in the state or Union Territory, or their nominee.

Where no IIT or NIT exists, the domain expert will be nominated by the director of NEERI (National Environmental Engineering Research Institute).

An officer of the state or Union Territory government serving as special secretary, joint secretary or deputy secretary in the environment department will be the SCEIA's member secretary.

The composition means most positions on the new bodies will be held by government officials, while specialised domain expertise is explicitly provided for only one member of the six-member appraisal committee.

Faster clearances, fears of diluted safeguards

According to the ministry's notification published on Tuesday, the standing bodies will function for no more than one year when state committees are dysfunctional.

The Environment Ministry has also amended the EIA Notification, 2006, to extend the tenure of SEIAAs and SEACs from three years to four years.

State governments will be required to initiate their reconstitution "at least six months before the expiry of their tenure".