Welcome to the website of State Level Environment Impact Assesment Authority, Odisha.

In exercise of the powers conferred by sub-section (3) of section 3 of the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 (29 of 1986) and in pursuance of the notification of the Govt. of India in the erstwhile Ministry of Environment and Forests, number S.O.5802(E), dated 16.12.2025 ( https://parivesh.nic.in/publicdocument/UPLOAD_OM_NOTIFICATION/IA_DOCS/1004_18122025122517.pdf ), the Central Government on considering it necessary or expedient so to do for the purposes of the said Act hereby constitutes the State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority, Odisha

Chairman

Dr. Sudarsan Panda, an IFS Officer of 1987 batch had served the state government in many important assignments including Director - Nandankanan, Chief Executive - Chilika Development Authority and Special Secretary, Forest & Environment Department. He also served as the PCCF & Project Director of OFSDP.

He was instrumental in formulating the Integrated Coastal Zone Management Project of Odisha which was funded by the World Bank. He has also served Govt. of India from 1995-99 as Regional Deputy Director (Wildlife) in Western Regional Office, Mumbai. He was specially trained for recovery of endangered species in UK and prevention & detection of wildlife crimes in USA. He has attended many international workshops and conferences in 12 countries including Canada, USA, UK, Australia, China & Japan. He was superannuated from government service in 2021. His areas of interest are Biodiversity Management, Wetland Management, Coastal Zone Management, etc. He has authored 11 books on various aspects of wildlife biology and biodiversity. He has published 72 research papers in national & international journals. Under his guidance, five students were awarded PhD degree from Utkal University & Berhampur University.

He was a member in the Odisha Biodiversity Board. He has been functioning as the Chairman of Odisha State Environment Impact Assessment Authority, under Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change, Govt. of India.

MEMBER

Dr. Gopal Prasad Roy is a distinguished civil engineer and water resources expert with more than four decades of professional experience in hydrology, flood management, dam safety, and water resources planning. He obtained his Ph.D. from Utkal University (2022) and holds a Master of Engineering from Indian Institute of Technology Roorkee (formerly University of Roorkee). He completed his B.Sc. Engineering (Civil) from Veer Surendra Sai University of Technology, Burla.

Dr. Roy served the Government of Odisha for over 35 years in the Department of Water Resources, holding several key technical and administrative positions. He retired from government service as Chief Engineer, Project Planning, Formulation & Investigation (PPF&I) with additional charge of Chief Engineer, Dam Safety. In this capacity, he was responsible for planning and appraisal of major water resources projects, flood management strategies, hydrological assessments, and monitoring the safety of large dams across the state. His responsibilities included oversight of 10 major, 45 medium, and 161 minor dams, preparation of dam health status reports, and formulation of operational guidelines for dam safety and flood control.

During his tenure, Dr. Roy played a crucial role in river basin planning, flood forecasting, water allocation for industrial development, and climate-resilient water management strategies. He was actively involved in hydrological studies and project clearances with national agencies, including the Central Water Commission, and contributed to policy formulation and interstate water dispute matters relating to major river basins.

He has extensive experience in hydrological modelling, flood forecasting systems, basin- level water availability studies, and drainage master planning for urban and infrastructure projects. His work also includes development of early warning systems, dam break analysis, emergency action plans, and integrated flood management frameworks.

Dr. Roy has authored and presented numerous technical papers in national and international journals and conferences on topics such as flood forecasting, climate change impacts on water resources, hydrological modelling, and river basin management. His research contributions include studies on flood forecasting systems for the Mahanadi basin, hydrological modelling using statistical and ANN techniques, and climate change impacts on water resources management.

After his retirement from government service, Dr. Roy continues to contribute to water resources planning as a Senior Consultant with SM Consultant Pvt. Ltd., where he provides expert guidance on hydrology studies, flood management, drainage planning, and infrastructure water management.

With his extensive experience in water resources engineering, environmental hydrology, and climate resilience, Dr. Roy brings valuable technical expertise to environmental appraisal and sustainable development initiatives.