District-Level Environment Impact Assessment Authorities 10/07/2019 – Posted in: Daily News

 

DISTRICT-LEVEL ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT AUTHORITIES 

 

For: Preliminary & Mains

Topics covered: Environment Impact assessment, DEIAA, SEIAA

 

News Flash

  • State-level officers tasked with environmental assessment have objected to several clauses in a draft law.
  • Draf Law proposes the creation of District-Level Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (DEIAA).
  • It is found that these authorities may have a conflict of interest and may not be technically competent.

 

District-Level Environment Impact Assessment Authorities

The proposed Environment Impact Assessment 2019, makes the District Magistrate (DM) the chairperson of the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority, that will accord environment clearance for “minor” mining projects.

Minor mining broadly refers to sand and stone mining in plots smaller than 25 hectares.

 

Environment Impact Assessment Notification

  • The EIA 2019 aims to be an update of the EIA 2006.
  • This document prescribes the environment clearance process.
  • Developers of infrastructure projects seek permission from the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and experts appointed by it.
  • This permission coveres developers that have the potential to significantly alter or impact forests, river basins or other ecologically sensitive regions.

 

Objection

  • State-level authorities called the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) have objected that making District Magistrate (DM) the chairman (of the DEIAA) would be self-serving for grant of environmental clearance.
  • The DM doesn’t have technical expertise in matters of environment and ecology.

 

Background

The 2016 rule that allows the appointment of DM as chairman has already been stayed by the NGT in December 2018.

 

Environment Impact assessment

Environmental assessment (EA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences (positive and negative) of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.

The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision makers consider the environmental impacts when deciding whether or not to proceed with a project.

 

Source: The Hindu

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