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The timeline for environmental clearance in India is as mentioned below:
Screening applicable only for Category B projects to be decided by SEAC
Scoping here, ToR is issued by the Expert Appraisal Committee for EIA study
Environment Impact Assessment report is prepared as per ToR
Public consultation
Final Appraisal report and public hearing feedback
Granting of EC clearance by MoEFCC or SEIAA
With the increasing population, pollution, and infrastructure development worldwide, governments are taking initiatives to control and minimize environmental degradation. In India, it is mandatory for certain projects to obtain environmental clearance before any construction or development activity begins. The primary aim of environmental clearance in India is to ensure that proposed projects do not pose significant harm to the environment or public health. This environmental clearance process applies to both new developments and the expansion or modernisation of existing ones, regardless of whether the project is located in an urban, rural, or forest area.
The legal basis for this requirement has come from the notification issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) on 14th September 2006, under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986. This notification imposes restrictions and prohibitions on projects based on their potential environmental impact. Therefore, obtaining prior EC clearance is essential for a wide range of industries and activities. The evaluation process includes assessing the environmental and social impacts and implementing mitigation measures to reduce the negative effects.
The application for environmental clearance must be submitted online through the Parivesh Portal, the single-window clearance system operated by the MoEF&CC. The portal streamlines the process for project proponents and ensures transparency and efficiency in handling applications. Overall, EC clearance plays a critical role in sustainable development by ensuring that all significant projects are reviewed for their environmental implications before receiving approval to proceed. Get Corpfilings expert guidance for securing environmental clearance for your project.
The proposed projects are divided into two categories, in terms of the environmental impact. Given below is the list of categories of project application for environmental clearance:
Category A Projects:Projects or activities that fall under Category A must obtain environmental clearance in India directly from the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC). This includes proposals for new projects, expansion, modernization, or changes in product types. The clearance is granted based on recommendations made by the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC), which is specifically constituted by the Central Government to evaluate such projects.
Category B Projects: Projects classified under Category B require clearance from the State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA). These are further divided into B1 and B2 categories. While B1 projects require an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) report, B2 projects are exempt from EIA unless specified by the appraisal committee based on project nature or location. The State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) evaluates the application and provides its recommendation to the SEIAA for granting EC clearance.
In certain circumstances, Category B projects may be treated as Category A. This happens when no SEAC is functioning in the respective state or when the project is proposed near protected areas, critically polluted zones, eco-sensitive regions, or inter-state or international boundaries. In such cases, the application for environmental clearance is escalated to the central authority, i.e., MoEF&CC, for further evaluation and approval.
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The list of benefits of environmental clearance in India is as follows:
The list of documents required for environmental clearance online is as follows:
The step-by-step environmental clearance process is as mentioned below:
Firstly, the application for EC clearance shall be made under Form 1 and Form 1a if applicable, along with the necessary documents for environmental clearance, including a feasibility report.
Followed by a screening of the application submitted, to be done only for the Category B projects. This is the stage where the Appraisal Committee determines and decides whether the proposed project or activities require a further environmental study and an environmental impact assessment report or not. If yes, then it is categorized as a B1, and if not, then an application for EC clearance is categorized as B2 accordingly.
This is the stage where the project proponents will submit a scoping document (terms of reference-ToR) mentioning detailed information about the proposed project’s relevant environmental issues and impacts to SEAC in case of B1 projects and Expert Appraisal Committee for category A projects.
If necessary, a sub-group of the Expert Appraisal Committee will give a site visit. Meanwhile, in this stage, the EC clearance application can be rejected on recommendation made by the Expert Appraisal Committee and the State Expert Appraisal Committee. However, such a decision of rejection must be conveyed by the concerned authority to the applicant within sixty days from the date of application.
Once the scoping stage of the application is accepted, the application shall move to the public consultation for the impact of the proposed project or activities. This includes public hearings, stakeholders, meetings and other forms of engagement. In this stage, the affected people's opinions and recommendations are discussed and heard. Accordingly, the applicant needs to make changes to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environment Management Plan (EMP) (if necessary) and submit them to the concerned regulatory authority.
It is the stage when the Expert Appraisal Committee will conduct an evaluation and scrutiny of the said application, documents, Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) and the Environment Management Plan (EMP), result of the public consultation, etc. This appraisal should be taken within sixty days from the final submission of the Environment Assessment Report.
Finally, on the recommendations made by the Expert Appraisal Committee, the regulating committee, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEAC) at the state level and the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) at the central level shall declare their decisions of granting the Environmental Clearance certificate.
The validity of EC clearance is as follows:
The list of projects or activities requiring prior EC clearance is as follows:
Mining, extraction of natural resources and power generation (for specified production capacity)
Primary Processing
Materials Production
Materials Processing
Manufacturing or Fabrication
Service Sectors
Physical Infrastructure, including Environmental Service
Building/Construction projects or Area Development Projects and Townships
The projects and activities in India, after obtaining an environmental clearance, must comply with the post-environmental clearance monitoring:
Some industrial projects that are located in ecologically fragile or sensitive areas are required to obtain environmental clearance. Given below is the notified list of environmental clearance for sensitive zones projects in India.
Some of the important aspects of public hearings in EC clearance are as follows:
At CorpFilings, we have a team of experienced professionals who specialize in environmental clearance services. With over a decade of industry expertise, we have earned a strong reputation as one of the leading consultancy firms in the field.
An environmental clearance is a certificate to be obtained from the government before starting projects or activities in India, as per the list notified by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change. It is an initiative taken by the government to minimize pollution to the environment and the ecological system.
You can obtain the Environmental Clearance (EC) certificate by submitting an online application through the official portal. The process involves several key steps:
According to the Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2006, the proposed projects or activities are divided into two categories. The category A projects are granted by the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) due to their scale of projects and impact in the environment. On the other hand, category B activities or projects are granted by the respective SEIAA (State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority).
The EIA stands for Environment Impact Assessment.
The Environmental clearance in India is primarily governed under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. This act, along with the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, have issued a mandatory prior EC clearance for certain specific projects and activities.
The categories A and B in the environmental clearance is categorizing of projects or activities as per the scale and environmental impact, as specifically mentioned in the Environment Impact Assessment Notification of 2006. Where category A is a national level appraisal and category B is a state level appraisal.
The validity of the environmental clearance in India depends upon the project to project as given below:
Some of the list of projects that require environmental clearance are as follows:
ToR which stands for a Terms of Reference, is a detailed scope prescribed by the concerned regulatory authority for the project for the preparation of the EIA report.
The main purpose or objective behind the environmental clearance is to assess the impact of the proposed project on the environment and people and to try to minimise the potential environmental and ecological impact.
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