Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Government of India (MoEF & CC) authorizes QCI-NABET accredited EIA Consultants to provide “No Increase in Pollution Load Certificate”.
The Ministry had issued a Notification vide S.O. 980(E) dated 2nd March, 2021 exempting the requirement of EC for any increase in production capacity in respect of processing or production or manufacturing sectors (listed against item numbers 2,3,4 and 5 in the Schedule to the notification of 2006) with or without any change in raw material mix or product mix or quantities within products or number of products including new products falling in the same category or configuration of the plant or process or operations in existing area or in areas contiguous to the existing area for which prior EC has been granted, provided there is no increase in pollution load.
The project proponents were advised to furnish a no increase in pollution load certificate, issued by the environmental auditor or reputed institutions empanelled by the State Pollution Control Board or Union Territory Pollution Control Committee or Central Pollution Control Board or Ministry or Environment, Forest and Climate Change, to avail the benefit of the above Notification.
The Ministry has now clarified through OM no. 22/20/2021-IA-III (E-164476) dated 23-08-2021 that environmental auditors as mentioned in the notification shall include all QCI-NABET accredited EIA consultants for the respective sectors and category (A or B), provided the same consultant has not rendered consultancy service for proposed expansion of the said project. Further the consultant accredited for Category-B projects shall not audit Category-A project. It has also been clarified that reputed institutions as mentioned in the notification would include CSIR laboratories specializing in the relevant sectors for the purpose of providing ‘no increase in pollution load certificate’ for any development project seeking to avail benefit of the provision of the above Notification.
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