National Environment Assessment And Monitoring Authority Of India

Lots of environmental protection initiatives and schemes have been launched by India in the recent times. For instance, a national technical consultation for air pollutants on a market-friendly emissions scheme has been recently initiated by India. This has been done to meet the challenges of pollution on both local and global scale, especially global climate change and global warming. Further, carbon trading is another area where India is working.

Similarly, suggestions regarding use of technological innovations to protect environment in India have also been provided by experts of India. Even suggestions regarding e-waste management in India have been provided to protect India from hazardous electronic waste.

However, of all these initiatives, suggestions and schemes, one of the most important one pertains to the proposal to establish national environment assessment and monitoring authority (NEAMA) of India. NEAMA has been proposed as a part of Indian government’s initiative to bring in larger regulatory reforms and improve environmental governance. It will be set up as a statutory body under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986.

NEAMA would be a professional autonomous body with domain experts, technological finesse and field outreach to appraise projects for environmental clearance besides monitoring compliance and initiating enforcement action. NEAMA intends to bridge the gaps in critical areas such as appraisal process and environmental clearances.

NEAMA would be supported by thematic appraisal committees (TACs) that would study the projects and recommend to the Environment Ministry for grant or rejection of environmental clearance.

Besides advising the Central Government in development of policies and guidelines on pro-active environmental management, including clearances, NEAMA would also deal with appraisals relating to coastal zone management. NEAMA may also provide the environment impact assessment report.

However, technological issues like e-waste regulations and management, green technologies, technological innovations to protect environment, etc must also be taken up by the NEAMA. Let us wait and watch the real role played by NEAMA in future.

Assocham Proposes Technological Innovations To Protect Environment

The Associated Chamber of Commerce and Industry of India (Assocham) has urged the business houses to use technological innovations to meet the developmental goals and environmental protection requirements.

Assocham also suggested that the government should encourage proper enforcement of laws while regulating greenhouse gases, enhancing energy efficiencies, exploring renewable sources of energy and reducing pollution levels.

Environmental protection in India has been seriously pursued in India these days, informs Praveen Dalal, managing partner of New Delhi based law firm Perry4Law and a lawyer at Supreme Court of India. India needs to have a “Sustainable Development Model” in order to meet the “Dual Objectives” of Environment Protection and National Development, suggests Dalal.

In the recent times the concept of “green technology” has also emerged. This concept encompasses a continuously evolving category of methods, materials and technologies to ensure sustainable development, informs Dalal.

Assocham’s secretary general D.S. Rawat opines that the effective way of controlling pollution and degradation of resources is to combine traditional laws with modern legislation and choice of technology while adopting safeguard measures to protect limited resources.Meanwhile, the government has proposed to establish a national environment assessment and monitoring authority to ensure sustainable development in India, informs Dalal. The authority would be a professional autonomous body with domain experts from various fields.

Assocham has proposed a very good model to ensure sustainable development in India. Let us hope that other business houses would also follow the suggestions of Assocham.