Delhi govt's proposal for reconstituting SEIAA gets notified

The constitution of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority and State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEIAA) was notified in line with the Delhi government's proposal on Wednesday.

Speaking on the development, Delhi 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.

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 SEIAA and SEAC has been done for Delhi for a three-year term.

Rai said that 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.

The Delhi government had sent its proposal for reconstitution of SEIAA or SEAC, along with names of experts, to the Central government in 2020 and after multiple correspondence and meetings, the notification was finally issued. 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 that 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.

( With inputs from ANI )