Goa SEIAA Requires Projects Over 20,000 sqm to Coordinate with Planning Authorities.

The Goa State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (Goa-SEIAA) has ruled that the Town and Country Planning (TCP) Department and the North Goa and South Goa Planning and Development Authorities (PDAs) must notify the SEIAA whenever they approve building plans with a built-up area exceeding 20,000 sq.m.

This step is aimed at ensuring that large projects have the required environmental clearances before construction begins, the SEIAA said following its recent meeting. In turn, the SEIAA will inform the TCP and the relevant PDA when it grants environmental clearance (EC) for such projects.

The issue came to light during an August meeting of the Goa-SEIAA, following directions from the Union Environment Ministry that EC would only be granted once project proponents submit building plans approved by the competent authority.

However, officials noted a bottleneck: the TCP department and PDAs were reluctant to approve building plans for projects subject to the EIA Notification 2006 and its amendments without prior EC. TCP and PDA officials clarified that they could not grant final plan approvals without the requisite environmental clearance.

To streamline the process, the SEIAA decided it will grant environmental clearance on the condition that the project proponent submits the approved building plan afterward. The authority emphasized that no civil work may commence before the submission of the approved plan, warning that failure to comply could lead to revocation of the EC under Section 5 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

Officials said the new protocol is expected to reduce delays for large-scale projects while ensuring compliance with environmental regulations.