The proposed Waste-to-Energy development at Vuda has triggered strong public interest, with the Ministry of Environment and Climate Change confirming 875 written submissions were lodged during the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) public viewing period that closed at 5pm on April 22, 2026. The ministry also recorded heavy petition activity: 5,610 online signatures and 3,193 paper-based signatures — a combined 8,803 — both for and against the project.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change Dr Sivendra Michael told reporters all material received during the public viewing has been forwarded to the EIA consultant and will now be subject to formal technical assessment. “All submissions received have been forwarded to the EIA consultant and will be formally assessed by the Technical Review Committee, which brings together expertise from Government agencies, academia, and environmental organisations,” he said, stressing the assessment will be rigorous and evidence-based.
The Technical Review Committee (TRC) will examine the consultant’s findings and the issues raised by stakeholders against statutory requirements set out under the Environment Management (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Environment Management (EIA Process) Regulations 2007. Dr Michael reiterated that no decision on whether the project will proceed has been made and urged the public to let the process unfold without interference. The ministry said a final determination will follow the completion of the TRC’s full technical and regulatory review.
Public consultations held earlier this week allowed communities, stakeholder groups and members of the wider public to engage directly with project proponents and government representatives. The mix of written submissions and multi-thousand signature petitions indicates both organised community mobilisation and significant individual interest, reflecting divergent views on the weigh-up between potential waste-management benefits and environmental or social concerns that typically accompany waste-to-energy proposals.
The EIA consultant’s role is to collate, analyse and respond to issues raised during the public viewing before producing the technical documentation the TRC will evaluate. The TRC’s multidisciplinary composition — encompassing government technical agencies, academic specialists and representatives of environmental organisations, as described by the ministry — is intended to ensure that engineering, ecological, public health and social dimensions are all considered in line with legal thresholds.
This update represents the latest procedural milestone in the Vuda proposal: public scrutiny under the EIA framework has now formally concluded and the process has moved into the technical evaluation phase. The ministry has not provided a timeline for the TRC’s review or for the release of its findings, but Dr Michael’s statements make clear that any approval or rejection will be grounded in the consultant’s assessment and the TRC’s judgment against the 2025 Act and existing EIA regulations.
Leave a comment