Environmental impact assesment by approved consultants only -Governance Now

Environmental impact assesment by approved consultants only

Env ministry to clear projects with EIA from govt accredited consultants only

PTI | March 25, 2010

Facing allegation of delaying project approvals, the Environment Ministry has decided to clear only those proposals which are prepared by government accredited consultants - a move aimed at ensuring transparency and expediting the process.

The Ministry has selected National Accreditation Board of Education and Training (NABET) and Quality Council of India (QCI) as its approved consultants.

In an order, the ministry made it clear that "final environment report of the project proponents to whom it has awarded "Terms of References" under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006, will be cleared only if it is approved by these two agencies.

"No final EIA from any project proponent prepared by a non-accredited consultant will be entertained after July 1," a senior environment ministry official said.

This has been done to ensure transparency and uniformity in EIA reports which are missing at present as the project proponents have been found approaching the consultants with vested interest who often overlook environment implications of the projects on the region.

The move has come following accusations that the environment ministry has been holding up projects, hampering developmental activities.

Road Transport and Highways Kamal Nath had recently written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh accusing the environment ministry of blocking key highway projects by stalling green clearances.

The official said the identification of these consultants is aimed at speeding up the clearance process, with individuals, firms and organisations, including government organisations, universities and Public Sector Undertakings (PSUs) working in the EIA area being asked to register themselves with the two agencies.

After accreditation, the consultants would need to include a certificate in this regard in the EIA/EMP reports prepared by them and also data provided by other organisations including their status of approvals, the official added.

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