Environmental Assessment (EA) Process

Renewal of existing EC

It is very important to note the validity period of the EC. If you have more than one EC, it may be appropriate to make a note of all environmental clearances that you have and their expiry dates. ECs must be renewed for activities that are not completed within the validity period of the EC. For instance, if the construction of the road is not completed within the validity of the EC, then, it must be renewed. Most of the activities require EC both for construction and operation. For such activities, ECs must be valid at all times. All ECs must be renewed at least one month prior to its expiry date. Non-renewal of the ECs on time will be constituted as a violation of the EA Act and the Regulation.   

Renewal Procedure

To renew the EC, one must submit an application with the following information:

  1. Details of the company or the applicant
  2. A copy of the environmental clearance
  3. State the reasons for seeking extension or renewal of the EC
  4. Mention for how long the extension is required, particularly for activities requiring environmental clearances only during construction period
  5. Brief report on how the environmental terms and conditions were implemented
  6. Any other relevant documents such as receipts of fines paid, etc.

Note that the EA Act and the Regulation do not permit any authority to issue EC longer than five years. It is also important to understand that the renewal of the EC shall be based on whether the environmental terms and conditions issued have been implemented fully or not. The application must be submitted to the CA or the NEC, as appropriate.

Site visit

Once the applicant has submitted an application, the CA or the NEC conducts a field visit to verify the information contained in the application. It is the responsibility of the applicant to submit correct/accurate information to the CA or the NEC. Submission of false or misleading information is a violation of the EA Act and the Regulation. 

Decision

The CA or NEC will then take a decision to either:

  1. Renew the EC
  2. Suspend the EC