State Wetland Authority submission: obtaining the Authority's decision on a regulated activity.

It is the body each State and Union Territory is required to constitute under the Wetlands (Conservation and Management) Rules 2017, chaired by the Minister in charge of the relevant department. It identifies wetlands, recommends notification, approves the integrated management plan and decides on activities in the regulated category.

The Rules speak in terms of prohibited and regulated activities rather than a uniform national permit. In practice State Authorities record their decision on a regulated activity, which functions as a no-objection for that activity at that location. The form of the document varies between States, which is why the State's own practice governs the application.

Conversion of a wetland for non-wetland use, encroachment of any kind, setting up or expansion of industries, disposal of construction and demolition waste, solid waste dumping and discharge of untreated effluents, among others listed in the Rules. Where a proposal falls in that list, the answer is a change in the proposal, not an application.

No. Environment Clearance is granted under the EIA Notification 2006 by the appraisal authorities; the wetland decision is taken by the State Wetlands Authority under the Wetlands Rules. They are separate obligations, and holding one does not dispose of the other.

The Authority may still take a view on the feature, and objections can be raised before it or before the National Green Tribunal on the basis that the feature meets the definition. Where notification is pending, we establish the position on delineation evidence and engage the Authority rather than relying on the absence of a notification.

Whether the activity affects the ecological character of the wetland (its hydrology, water quality, biodiversity and the services it provides) and whether it is consistent with the integrated management plan where one exists. Effects on inflow and drainage are usually examined more closely than the footprint alone.

The project proponent applies, ordinarily through the district administration or the department the State designates, with the technical file prepared by a consultant. As with other approvals the responsibility for the content rests with the proponent.

It is exposed to action under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 and to proceedings before the National Green Tribunal, which has dealt with wetland encroachment matters actively, including directions for restoration. Restoration orders are considerably more expensive than the application would have been.