Tamil Nadu gets additional State Expert Appraisal Committee for environmental clearance

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has announced the formation of an additional State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) in Tamil Nadu.

The Union Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEFCC) has announced the formation of an additional State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) in Tamil Nadu.

This decision comes nearly a month after State Environment Minister Thangam Thennarasu (also holding the Finance portfolio) met Bhupender Yadav, Minister of MoECCF, about the need for enhanced scrutiny and decision-making regarding environmental impact assessments (EIA) for development projects across the State. Further, the tenure of the current SEAC is coming to an end in April.

As per a gazette notification issued on March 6, the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority for Tamil Nadu has been reconstituted with a new leadership structure. A retired Indian Forest Service (IFS) officer, Syed Muzammil Abbas, has been appointed as the Chairman of the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority. Former Anna University professor Vasudevan Namasivayam will serve as a member of the authority, while the Director of the Department of Environment and Climate Change will take on the role of Member Secretary.

The two State Level Expert Appraisal Committees, designated as SEAC-1 and SEAC-2, are tasked with evaluating projects within their designated regions. The committees will be chaired by retired IAS officer PWC Davidar and Vellaisamy Palanikumar, respectively.

The SEAC-1 will be responsible for projects in the following districts: Tiruvallur, Chennai, Vellore, Ranipet, Kanchipuram, Krishnagiri, Tirupattur, Tiruvannamalai, Chengalpattu, Dharmapuri, Villupuram, Kallakurichi, Erode, Salem, Cuddalore, Namakkal, Perambalur, Ariyalur, and the Nilgiris.

The SEAC-2 will oversee projects in the districts of Coimbatore, Tirupur, Karur, Trichy, Thanjavur, Thiruvarur, Dindigul, Pudukottai, Theni, Madurai, Sivagangai, Ramanathapuram, Virudhunagar, Tenkasi, Kanyakumari, Thoothukudi, Nagapattinam, Mayiladuthurai, and Tirunelveli.

To prevent conflict of interests, the Chairman and members of the authority and committees will not be involved in consultations or environmental impact assessment work for projects that they will be appraising.