SHILLONG, Nov 5: Chairman of the State Expert Appraisal Committee on Environment (SEAC), Naba Bhattacharjee, representing the Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change (MoEF&CC), announced on Tuesday that three project proponents have submitted their Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Environmental Management Plans (EMP) for scientific mining. These will be reviewed in the coming week.
“In March 2024, we provided the Terms of Reference (ToR), outlining the requirements for preparing the EIA and EMP, including the submission of public hearing reports conducted by the respective District Collectors,” Bhattacharjee stated.
He continued, “On October 22, the three project proponents — one in West Khasi Hills and two in East Jaintia Hills — uploaded all required reports on the MoEF&CC’s PARIVESH website. These submissions included detailed presentations by NABET-empanelled EIA consultants, covering environmental safeguards, overburden management, and other essential aspects.”
The SEAC Chairman noted that the proposals aim to follow the scientific mining processes approved by the Ministry of Coal, ensuring that environmental impacts are carefully managed in accordance with MoEF&CC guidelines.
Regarding a fourth project in South West Khasi Hills, Bhattacharjee mentioned that it has been forwarded to the Central Appraisal Committee since it lies within 10 km of the international boundary with Bangladesh.
