The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has issued a directive mandating that project proponents must engage accredited environmental consultant organizations to prepare environmental impact assessment (EIA) reports or environmental management plans (EMPs). This decision was taken during a recent meeting of the authority.
The Goa-SEIAA stated that wherever an EIA or EMP is required to be prepared through an accredited environmental consultant organization, it shall be prepared and submitted by such an organization from the relevant sector and category. This ensures that the reports are prepared by qualified professionals with expertise in the specific field.
In a related clarification, the authority emphasized that during appraisal proceedings before the Goa-SEIAA or the Goa State Expert Appraisal Committee (Goa-SEAC), the presence of the consultant for clarifications will not prevent the project proponent from participating in the presentation. The project proponent may appear personally or through an authorized representative and may be assisted by project team members or relevant technical persons for furnishing clarifications during the appraisal.
The Goa-SEIAA further noted that both the consultant and the project proponent may participate virtually if required. This flexibility is intended to streamline the appraisal process while ensuring that all necessary technical inputs are available.
The authority highlighted that clarification was needed on the process for presentation of proposals before the authority and the Goa-SEAC to ensure uniformity in project appraisal procedures. Under the EIA Notification 2006, projects seeking environmental clearance must undergo appraisal before the Goa-SEIAA and Goa-SEAC. The notification empowers the authority to seek clarifications from the project proponent or authorized representative and also provides for the preparation and submission of EIA reports and EMPs through accredited environmental consultant organizations.
