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148 INDIA'S HYDROCARBON OUTLOOK 2024-2025

Structured Communication Tools: Prevents cost overruns from delayed appraisals
Enables seamless query management, or rejected proposals.
digital submissions, and scheduling of
site inspections through a centralized Encourages proactive stakeholder engagement
communication channel. by clarifying approval requirements upfront.

• "Know Your Approval" (KYA): A Game- Enhances project bankability and investor
Changer for Hydrocarbon Projects confidence through regulatory transparency.

One of the most transformative features of In summary, PARIVESH 2.0 particularly the "Know
PARIVESH 2.0 is the "Know Your Approval Your Approval" module marks a transformative
(KYA)" module, a pre-application advisory tool step in pre-emptive environmental governance.
that allows project developers to assess the It empowers oil and gas operators with foresight,
likely statutory requirements before submitting clarity, and control, enabling them to align
a formal proposal. For the oil and gas industry, energy development goals with ecological
which operates in diverse ecological and sustainability and compliance certainty.
geographical zones, this feature is especially 8.3.2 Dedicated Committees for Proposal
critical. Appraisal and Recommendation
• How KYA Supports Oil & Gas Operators: To ensure timely, transparent, and technically

Geo-Referenced Risk Screening: By sound decision-making in the clearance process,
uploading project location coordinates or the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate
selecting the area on the GIS map, operators Change (MoEF&CC) has constituted a system
can instantly identify whether the proposed of dedicated appraisal and recommendation
site falls within forest areas, eco-sensitive committees. These bodies operate at both the
zones, CRZs, wildlife habitats, or tribal land central and state levels, with domain-specific
governed under the Forest Rights Act. expertise tailored to the nature and scale of the
proposed projects.
Automated Regulatory Checklist: Based
on the project’s location and nature • Central-Level Committees
(e.g., onshore/offshore drilling, pipeline Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs):
construction, seismic survey), KYA auto- EACs are sector-specific bodies constituted
generates a list of applicable statutory under the EIA Notification, 2006. These
approvals including EC, FC, WL, and CRZ expert panels evaluate proposals
along with the relevant forms, templates, requiring Environmental Clearance
and timelines. (EC) under Category A, which includes

Early Red Flag Identification: Helps project projects with significant environmental
proponents avoid ecologically sensitive impact. EACs assess the proposals based
or legally restricted zones in the planning on Terms of Reference (ToR), public
phase itself, minimizing chances of proposal consultation outcomes, and Environmental
rejection or prolonged appraisals. Impact Assessment (EIA) reports. Their
recommendations form the basis for final
Informed Decision-Making: By enabling approvals by the MoEF&CC.
early-stage project design optimization,
land parcel vetting, and risk mitigation, the • State-Level Committees
KYA tool helps operators plan bankable, State Environment Impact Assessment
compliant, and low-risk proposals. Authorities (SEIAAs): For Category B2

• Sectoral Benefits for Oil & Gas Projects projects which generally pose lower
environmental risk, SEIAAs function as the
For hydrocarbon operators, especially in remote nodal authority for appraisal and clearance
or high-sensitivity regions like the North-East, at the state level. They are supported by
coastal belts, and tribal forest zones, PARIVESH State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEACs)
2.0 combined with KYA functionality offers a for technical evaluation and ensure that
competitive edge: decentralized decision-making aligns
with national standards while reducing
Reduces uncertainties and timelines in the procedural burden on smaller-scale projects.
clearance process.