Centre reconstitutes Nagaland's environment clearance bodies

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has reconstituted Nagaland's two key state-level bodies responsible for evaluating and granting environmental clearances to development projects.

According to a notification issued by the ministry on June 4, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and the State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) have been reconstituted for a fresh term.

The SEIAA is the statutory body responsible for granting environmental clearances to projects, while the SEAC evaluates project proposals and provides expert recommendations to the authority during the appraisal process.

The notification stated that the chairman and members of both bodies will hold office for a period of three years from the date of publication of the notification in the Official Gazette.

Under the revised structure, the SEIAA will comprise a chairman, a member and a member secretary. The SEAC will consist of a chairman, a member secretary and four members.

The ministry has also laid down safeguards to prevent conflicts of interest in the functioning of the two bodies.

As per the notification, any chairman or member who has provided consultancy services or conducted Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) studies for a project proponent during the previous five years will be required to recuse themselves from meetings related to the appraisal of projects proposed by that entity.

The move is aimed at ensuring transparency, impartiality and credibility in the environmental clearance process while strengthening regulatory oversight of development projects in Nagaland.

The SEIAA and SEAC play a crucial role in scrutinising projects with potential environmental impacts and ensuring compliance with environmental regulations before approvals are granted.