Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Category A Projects and the Expert Appraisal Committee
Under the EIA Notification, 2006, large river valley and hydroelectric projects are classified as Category A projects, requiring environmental clearance directly from the MoEFCC (not the state) on the recommendation of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) for River Valley and Hydro Projects. The EIA process involves scoping (Terms of Reference), baseline data collection, public hearing, submission of the final EIA report to the EAC, and then appraisal.
- Category A threshold for hydroelectric projects: installed capacity above 25 MW.
- The EAC determines Terms of Reference within 60 days of Form 1 submission; for Category A hydro projects, pre-construction clearance is typically granted alongside ToR.
- Public hearings must be conducted in the project-affected districts before the final EIA report is submitted.
- Environmental clearance from MoEFCC is distinct from forest clearance under the Forest Conservation Act — a project may receive one while being denied the other.
● Tracked since March 10, 2026 · last seen June 19, 2026 · updates as the daily brief publishes
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