**Executive Summary**
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, effective from August 29, 2025, to strengthen transparency and accountability in environmental compliance. An Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) has been engaged for implementation across the country. The Ministry has also notified Control of Air Pollution (Grant, Refusal or Cancellation of Consent) Amendment Guidelines, 2026 on January 23, 2026.
**Key Points / Main Content**
* **Environment Audit Rules, 2025:**
* Aim to increase transparency and accountability in environmental compliance.
* Implementation across the country involves the engagement of an Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA).
* The rules include provisions to address conflicts of interest.
* **Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) Responsibilities:**
* Certification of Environment Auditors through Recognition of Prior Learning (RPL) & National Certification Examination (NCE).
* Registration and renewal of Registered Environment Auditors (REAs).
* Issuance of guidelines for certification, registration, and audit fees.
* A Steering Committee oversees the implementation, monitoring, and supervision of the Environmental Audit Scheme.
* **Control of Air Pollution (Grant, Refusal or Cancellation of Consent) Amendment Guidelines, 2026:**
* Allows State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) and Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) to engage Registered Environment Auditors per the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, to perform their functions.
* **Online Continuous Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS):**
* Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has mandated OCEMS for 17 categories of highly polluting industries.
* Enable 24x7 real-time transmission of environmental data to CPCB and concerned SPCBs/PCCs.
* Automated alerts for exceedances to facilitate timely corrective and regulatory action.
* **Air Quality Monitoring:**
* Ambient air quality monitoring in Maharashtra is carried out through manual and continuous stations.
* The network has expanded to 97 stations across 31 cities in 2025.
* **Environmental Clearances:**
* The Ministry / State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities (SEIAAs) stipulate conditions for continuous effluent/emission monitoring for certain projects/activities, based on recommendations from the Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs) / State Expert Appraisal Committees (SEACs).
* Compliance is enforced by the concerned SPCBs and PCCs.
**Impact Analysis**
**State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs)**
* **Impact:** Empowered to engage Registered Environment Auditors for performance of their functions; responsible for enforcing compliance with environmental clearance conditions.
* **Action Required:** Engage Registered Environment Auditors and ensure compliance with environmental clearance conditions.
**Highly Polluting Industries**
* **Impact:** Required to install Online Continuous Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for real-time data transmission.
* **Action Required:** Install and maintain OCEMS for continuous monitoring and data transmission.
**Environment Auditors**
* **Impact:** Subject to certification, registration, and potential engagement by SPCBs/PCCs.
* **Action Required:** Obtain certification and registration through the Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA).
Key Entities Referenced
Environment Audit Rules, 2025: Newly notified rules aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in environmental impact assessments.
Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change: The central ministry responsible for notifying and implementing the Environment Audit Rules, 2025 and overseeing environmental compliance.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB): Mandates installation of Online Continuous Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems and prescribes population-based criteria for air quality monitoring.
Maharashtra: The state where the rollout and pilot audits of the Environment Audit Rules, 2025 are being conducted.
State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs): Engage Registered Environment Auditors to perform state board functions.
GOVERNMENT OF INDIA
MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE
LOK SABHA
UNSTARRED QUESTION NO. 376
TO BE ANSWERED ON 02.02.2026
Environment Audit Rules, 2025
376. ADV GOWAAL KAGADA PADAVI:
Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to
state:
(a) whether the Government has begun implementation of the newly notified Environment
Audit Rules, 2025, aimed at increasing transparency and accountability in
environmental impact assessments;
(b) if so, the timeline and mechanism proposed for their rollout across Maharashtra;
(c) whether any pilot audits have been conducted in industrial or mining zones such as
Chandrapur, Nashik or Nandurbar Districts;
(d) the manner in which third-party environmental auditors will be empanelled to prevent
conflict of interest;
(e) whether the State Pollution Control Board have been instructed to align compliance
monitoring under the new Rules; and
(f) the steps taken/proposed to be taken by the Government to strengthen real-time data
monitoring of air, water and soil parameters in Maharashtra's eco-sensitive and tribal
regions?
ANSWER
MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND
CLIMATE CHANGE
(SHRI KIRTI VARDHAN SINGH)
(a) to (f) The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has notified the
Environment Audit Rules, 2025 dated 29 August 2025 with the objective of strengthening
transparency and accountability in environmental compliance. For the implementation and
operationalisation of the said Rules, across the country, including Maharashtra, the engagement
of the Environment Audit Designated Agency (EADA) has been completed.
As per the aforesaid rules, the roles and responsibilities of Environment Audit Designated
Agency, inter alia, include certification of Environment Auditors through Recognition of Prior
Learning (RPL) & National Certification Examination (NCE), registration & renewal of
Registered Environment Auditors (REAs), issuance of guidelines relating to certification,
registration and audit fees. A Steering Committee has been constituted in accordance with theprovisions of the Rules to oversee the implementation, monitoring and supervision of the
Environment Audit Scheme. The Environment Audit Rules, 2025 also contain explicit
provisions to address conflict of interest.
The Ministry has notified Control of Air Pollution (Grant, Refusal or Cancellation of Consent)
Amendment Guidelines, 2026 on 23.01.2026, which, inter alia, provide that the State Pollution
Control Boards (SPCBs)/Pollution Control Committees (PCCs) may engage Registered
Environment Auditors in accordance with the Environment Audit Rules, 2025, for the purpose
of enabling a State Board to perform any of its functions including the functions conferred on
it by or under the said guidelines.
Central Pollution Control Board (CPCB) has mandated the installation of Online Continuous
Effluent/Emission Monitoring Systems (OCEMS) for 17 categories of highly polluting
industries, enabling 24×7 real-time transmission of environmental data to CPCB and concerned
SPCBs/PCCs, with automated alerts for exceedances to facilitate timely corrective and
regulatory action. Ambient air quality monitoring in Maharashtra is carried out through a
network of manual and continuous stations, which has expanded from 41 Continuous Ambient
Air Quality Monitoring Stations (CAAQMS) across 11 cities in 2002 to 97 CAAQMS covering
31 cities in 2025, in accordance with population-based criteria prescribed by CPCB, including
coverage of eco-sensitive and tribal regions.
In addition, based on the recommendations of the Expert Appraisal Committees (EACs) / State
Expert Appraisal Committees (SEACs), the Ministry / State Environment Impact Assessment
Authorities (SEIAAs), while granting Environmental Clearances (ECs), stipulate conditions
for continuous effluent/emission monitoring for certain projects/activities, the compliance of
which is enforced by the concerned SPCBs and PCCs.
*****