Key Recommendations of TSR Subramiam panel:
1) It has recommended for creation of a new “umbrella” law by subsuming the existing environmental laws.
2) Under the proposed new Environment Law Management Act (ELMA), full-time expert bodies—National Environment Management Authority (NEMA) and State Environment Management Authority (SEMA)—are to be established at the Central and state levels respectively. They should evaluate project clearance (using technology and expertise), in a time bound manner, providing for single window clearance.
3) The existing Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) and the State Pollution Control Boards (SPCB)are proposed to be “subsumed” under NEMA and SEMA once the new bodies come into existence.
4) It recommends that an “environmental reconstruction cost” should be assessed for each project. The assessment should be on the basis of the damage caused by it to the environment and damage be dovetailed with the cost of the project. This cost has to be recovered as a cess or duty from the project proponent during the life of the project. An “Environment Reconstruction Fund” is proposed to be established for the accumulation of this cost and other penalties recovered from projects.
5) Protected areas and forests with over 70% of the tree coverage should be declared as ‘No GO’ areas.
6) Compensatory afforestation in the revenue land should be modified to 2:1 from the existing 1:1 ratio. The compensatory afforestation in degraded forest land should be modified to 3:1 from the existing 2:1 ratio.
7) An All India Service with the name as ‘India Environment Service’ may be created.
8) It recommended for removing the condition of gram sabha approval particularly for linear projects like roads, railways or transmission lines.