New Delhi

Experts have raised concerns over the Centre’s proposal to set up new standing bodies to fast-track environmental clearances, warning that the move could weaken scientific scrutiny of projects.

According to a draft notification issued on March 5, the government has proposed creating two bodies — the Standing Authority on Environment Impact Assessment (SAEIA) and the Standing Committee on Environment Impact Appraisal (SCEIA). These would take over the roles of the existing State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEAC) when they become non-functional due to expired tenures or delays in reconstitution.

While SEIAA grants environmental clearances, SEAC evaluates and advises on project proposals.

Under the proposal, the new bodies would consist of “ex officio members”, meaning government officials or bureaucrats nominated by the Centre.

Subhrajit Goswami, a researcher at the Centre for Science and Environment, said the proposal bypasses the legal mandate of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006, which requires members to have significant domain expertise.

He said the rules stipulate that the chairman and members should be eminent experts with at least 15 years of experience or a PhD in relevant environmental fields.

“Administrative oversight often emphasises the ‘ease of doing business’ metrics, which may overlook site-specific ecological nuances that a seasoned botanist or environmental engineer would typically flag,” Goswami said.

Nawneet Vibhaw, a professor at Jindal Global Law School, said ex officio members may have the technical knowledge required for environmental assessments, but the eligibility criteria in the draft notification remain unclear.

He added that the proposal requires officials to demonstrate they do not have any conflict of interest in dealing with project clearances, which is intended to address concerns about bias.

Currently, when SEIAA or SEAC bodies are not functioning, the responsibility shifts to the central-level Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).

The draft notification noted that this often leads to a halt in state-level clearance processes, with pending proposals transferred in bulk to the Centre, causing delays and affecting project timelines and investor confidence.

However, Goswami argued that the involvement of the EAC ensures scrutiny by domain specialists in areas such as ecosystem management, pollution control and environmental risk assessment.

“By substituting these statutory experts with a standing committee of officials, the process loses the legal guarantee of scientific temperament and technical integrity currently protected by law,” he said.

The draft also proposes that if SEAC fails to communicate its decision on an application within 120 days, the proposal would automatically be forwarded to the SCEIA through the PARIVESH portal for consideration.

Vibhaw said the move could help ensure timely decisions on environmental approvals and strengthen confidence in regulatory processes. However, he cautioned that faster clearances should not come at the cost of environmental safeguards.

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He added that while the absence of SEIAA or SEAC members should not stall assessments for eligible projects, lawmakers must remain vigilant to ensure that regulatory changes are not misused at a time when environmental damage remains a serious concern.