Centre notifies Goa green bodies to issue some environment clearances

PANAJI: The Union ministry of environment, forest and climate change (MoEFCC) has constituted the state-level environment impact assessment authority (SEIAA) and the state-level expert appraisal committee (SEAC), which will be headed by Suhas Jagannath Godse and Gautam Vikas Desai respectively.
The two committees have been empowered to issue environment clearances to mines smaller than 100 hectares.They can also issue ECs to townships, e-waste and hazardous waste treatment facilities, etc.
The SEIAA will decide issues based SEAC recommendatiions, and while the latter must try to reach a consensus, if it can’t the majority view will prevail.
The chairmen and members of both the bodies will hold office for three years, and all of them are bound to declare the organisations they have been associated with, to avoid conflict of interest.
The notification has forbidden chairmen and members not to undertake any consultation or associate themselves with the preparation of environment impact assessment (EIA) and environment management plans (EMP) for projects.
It also stated that if any chairman or member has provided services for any project proponent, they must recuse if the proponents’ projects come up before the bodies.
The government of Goa, according to the notification, must notify an agenty to act as secretariat for the authorities, and shall provide all financial and logistical support.