The Kerala State Pollution Control Board (KSPCB) on November 25, 2025, issued a clarification regarding the implementation of the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) for obtaining comments from SPCBs/PCCs through the PARIVESH Portal.
The following has been stated namely: -
• The Ministry of Environment, Forest, and Climate Change has clarified the implementation of Notifications G.S.R. 702(E) and 703(E) dated November 12, 2024, which exempt projects having prior Environmental Clearance (EC) from obtaining Consent to Establish (CTE) from SPCBs/PCCs. To operationalize this, Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) were issued through Office Memoranda dated January 14, 2025, and October 08, 2025, requiring comments from SPCBs/PCCs via the PARIVESH portal, a provision made live from October 24, 2025.
• However, it has been clarified that these provisions apply only to projects where both EC and CTE were mandatory before November 12, 2024, under the EIA Notification, 2006.
• Projects requiring EC but not requiring CTE earlier (such as certain minor mineral mining activities) need not await SPCB/PCC comments or fee on PARIVESH, and SEIAA may proceed with EC grant.
• The Ministry has further deferred the effective “designated date” to January 31, 2026, to ensure a smooth transition. Projects granted EC between November 12, 2024, and January 31, 2026, or accepted on PARIVESH on or before January 31, 2026, for which CTE was earlier required, shall obtain environmental safeguards from SPCBs/PCCs within 30 days of January 31, 202,6 or the EC grant, as applicable, in accordance with the OM dated January 14, 2025.
[Notification no. - IA-J-11013/20/2025-IA-P]
