State Forms Environment Authority and Zonal Appraisal Committees

Quick Summary

• The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has issued a notification for establishing the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Kerala, along with three zonal State-level Expert Appraisal Committees.
• P.H. Kurian,former IAS officer,is appointed as Chairman of the Authority,with Raveendran Thekkeparambil as a member. The Secretary,Department of Environment,Kerala,will serve as Member Secretary.
• the Authority will decide based on recommendations from the appraisal committees.
• Three zonal State-level Expert Appraisal Committees have been constituted:

– South Zone: Covers Thiruvananthapuram to Ernakulam districts; chaired by former IFS officer Anirud Kumar Dharani (six members).
– Central Zone: Covers Idukki to Malappuram districts; chaired by Shibu Krishnan (Associate Professor in Civil Engineering).
– North zone: Includes Kozhikode to Kasaragod districts; chaired by former IFS officer Anil Kumar Bharadwaj.

• Chairpersons and members of both the authority and committees will serve for a tenure of three years.

Indian Opinion Analysis

The establishment of the State-level Environment Impact Assessment Authority and associated zonal committees marks an important administrative step in ensuring region-specific environmental decision-making within Kerala. By appointing experienced professionals from diverse backgrounds-such as IAS officers and experts in civil engineering-the government is setting up mechanisms for informed evaluations on environmental impact projects across various zones in Kerala.

This division into South, Central, and North zones reflects an effort to streamline operations for covering ecologically diverse areas efficiently while addressing their unique needs on local scales. such specialized roles could help improve clarity and accountability if managed effectively.

For India broadly, this reinforces efforts toward decentralized environmental governance-a necessity given its vast geographical diversity-and sets a precedent for other states aiming to balance advancement with sustainability goals.

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