State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA),
U.T. of Puducherry and State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC),
U.T. of Puducherry were constituted in the year 2007 by the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Government of India, in consultation with Government of Puducherry, in exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of Section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) and in pursuance of the Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006 number S.O. 1533 (E), dated the 14th September 2006.
The SEIAA and SEAC are reconstituted every 3 years.
SEIAA and SEAC, Puducherry are independent body functioning under the Department of Science, Technology and Environment, Government of Puducherry. It consists of Chairman, Member Secretary and Members who are subject experts / professionals in the field of Environment and other relevant areas.
SEIAA is vested with the powers to grant Prior Environmental Clearance (EC) for projects falling under category
"B" of schedule in Environment Impact Assessment Notification, 2006. SEAC assists the SEIAA in technical evaluation of project proposal and making suitable recommendations to SEIAA.
The project proponents seeking prior environmental clearance are required to submit an online application to SEIAA, Puducherry in the PARIVESH web portal of the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, before commencement of any construction work or preparation of land. Once application
is received, subject to the completeness of application the proposal will be forwarded to SEAC. SEAC will appraise the proposal in its meeting and will also conduct the site inspection, if required. The recommendations of SEAC are then submitted to SEIAA. Based on the recommendations of SEAC, SEIAA may grant or reject the Environmental Clearance.