The regulation has been amended to exempt housing and road construction from Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).
The amendments to the EIA have been published in the government gazette. In this regard, the 7th Amendment to the Environmental Impact Reporting Rules has now been published.
The amendment requires an environmental impact report to be prepared during the implementation of 31 projects. And 25 projects that can be carried out without an environmental impact report have also been clarified under this amendment.
The changes have made road construction projects and housing projects exempt from EIA. The amendment also includes the establishment of waste management centers as part of this non-requirement.
Water and sewerage work carried out after the completion of an EIA, and maintenance of inner and outer shore protection done in this regard will not require an EIA. However, in contexts where the damage is significant, and a new installation is required, an EIA will need to be carried out.
The amendment also states that an EIA will not be required for the installation of solar panels on the roof of completed buildings.
Precautionary measures to protect material goods from erosion and temporary measures to protect the lives, homes and property of individuals in the event of an emergency will also not have to wait for permission. The previous rule had barred such emergency action without prior permission.
Furthermore, permission has also been granted for the installation of generator sets with an output capacity of less than 300 megawatts.
The environmental regulatory authority is the implementing body for these guidelines. The details of these amendments are stated in the aforementioned published government gazette.