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Centre Reconstitutes Haryana’s Environmental Clearance Authorities

Why in the News?

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reconstituted Haryana’s SEIAA and SEAC to clear regulatory backlogs, decentralise environmental clearances for Category ‘B’ projects, and strengthen scrutiny amid rapid urbanisation in NCR districts. This move aims to address the need for retrospective environmental clearances and enhance environmental jurisprudence in the state.

 

Environmental Watchdog Rejig in Haryana:

  • The Central government has overhauled the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) for Haryana through an official notification, addressing the need for ex post facto environmental clearances.
  • Retired IAS officer Ankur Gupta has been appointed as SEIAA Chairman, with Ram Sarup Verma (retd IAS) as a member; the Director, Environment & Climate Change Department will act as Member-Secretary.
  • The SEAC, whose recommendations form the basis of SEIAA decisions, will be chaired by Mahabir Prasad Sharma, a retired Indian Forest Service officer, along with experts from environmental science, civil engineering and pollution control.
  • The move follows months of vacancies and partial functioning, which had led to project delays, regulatory backlog, and weakened appraisal mechanisms.
  • Authorities expect the newly constituted bodies to start functioning immediately, with priority clearance of pending proposals and an initial target to reduce backlog within two to three months, depending on project complexity.

Key Motives and Significance of Reconstitution

  • The primary objective is to decentralise environmental clearance powers, enabling states to independently clear Category ‘B’ projects instead of awaiting central approvals, while also addressing the need for ex-post or retrospective environmental clearances.
  • Such projects include real estate developments, mining, industrial units, infrastructure projects and urban expansion, heavily concentrated in Gurugram, Faridabad and Sonipat.
  • A functional SEIAA–SEAC system ensures faster approvals without diluting environmental safeguards, balancing growth with sustainability and adhering to the precautionary principle in environmental protection.
  • Conflict-of-interest norms have been tightened: members must declare past associations, recuse themselves where necessary, and are barred from consultancy for projects under appraisal.
  • Decisions will be taken in formal meetings, preferably unanimously; dissenting opinions, if any, must be recorded and forwarded to the Central government, enhancing transparency and accountability in environmental democracy.

Key points: Environmental Clearance
– Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is mandated under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, EIA Notification, 2006, and considers regulations like the Forest Conservation Act and Coastal Regulation Zone norms.
– Projects are classified into Category ‘A’ (cleared by Centre) and Category ‘B’ (cleared by State-level authorities).
– SEIAA grants or rejects environmental clearances based on SEAC recommendations, applying principles such as the polluter pays principle.
– The framework aims to integrate developmental needs with ecological protection, especially in high-growth regions, to ensure a pollution-free environment.
– Effective functioning of appraisal bodies is critical to prevent environmental safeguards from becoming mere procedural formalities rather than substantive checks, as emphasized in recent environmental jurisprudence like the Vanashakti judgment.