No regulator for appraisal of developmental projects: CAG

The Environment Ministry has failed to appoint a national level regulator to carry out transparent appraisal of developmental projects for environmental clearances despite a Supreme Court observation, the CAG today said.
The regulator was to be appointed also to monitor the implementation of the conditions laid down in the ECs, the CAG report on 'Environmental Clearances and Post Clearance Monitoring' tabled in the Parliament said.
"The (Environment) Ministry has not yet appointed regulator at the national level as observed by the Supreme Court (July 2011) to carry out an independent, objective and transparent appraisal and approval of the projects for EC and to monitor the implementation of the conditions laid down in EC," it said.

It said that the national regulator to to oversee the entire process of grant of EC is yet to be appointed despite directions of the Supreme Court.
"We (CAG) observed that the central government constituted State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for each state/UT under section 3(3) of the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 for granting ECs to Category B projects.
"However, no such authority was there at the National level and the ministry was itself granting ECs to Category A projects," it observed.

In its recommendations, the CAG has asked the Environment Ministry to streamline the processes of granting EC including adhering to the timelines as per the EIA notification in order to increase transparency and fairness in grant of EC.

It has also asked the ministry to ensure that EIA reports are as per the Terms of Reference (ToR), comply with the generic structure, baseline data is accurate and concerns raised during the public hearing are adequately addressed.
"Environment Ministry may take expeditious measure to have the requisite number of scientists in place in the respective Regional Offices (ROs). It (Ministry) should evolve a system by delegating powers to ROs for taking action against the defaulting PPs," it said.
It also asked the ministry to introduce a system of surprise checks by the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) at premise of Project Proponents (PPs) to verify the third party testing of environmental parameters.

"The ministry may issue advisory to the state government regarding implementation and monitoring of the action plan of critically polluted area at regular intervals," it said among its many recommendations.