Housing and Road Projects Exempted From Environmental Impact Assessment

The government has amended environmental regulations to exempt housing and road construction projects from requiring an Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA).

The changes are included in the 7th Amendment to the Environmental Impact Reporting Rules, which has been published in the government gazette.

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Under the amendment, 31 projects are now required to prepare an environmental impact report during implementation, while 25 types of projects have been clarified as not requiring an EIA. Road construction and housing projects are explicitly included in the exemption, along with the establishment of waste management centres.

Water and sewerage work carried out following the completion of an EIA, as well as maintenance of inner and outer shore protection, will also not require a new EIA. However, if significant damage occurs and a new installation is needed, an assessment will still be mandatory.

The amendment further states that installing solar panels on the roofs of completed buildings does not require an EIA. Precautionary measures to protect property from erosion and emergency actions to safeguard lives, homes and assets no longer need prior approval, reversing the previous requirement for permission in such situations.

Permission has also been granted for the installation of generator sets with an output of less than 300 megawatts without an EIA.

The Environmental Protection Agency is responsible for implementing these guidelines, as detailed in the published government gazette.