The Ministry of Environment and Climate Change says no decision has been made to date regarding the proposed Waste-to-Energy development in Vuda, and the decision can only be issued following the completion of the full technical and regulatory review.
The Ministry is now undertaking the technical review.
They say the written submission period for the project closed on Tuesday where they received a total of 875 written submissions during the public viewing period of the EIA review process.
The Ministry has also acknowledged the receipt of petitions, including 5,610 online signatures and 3,193 paper-based signatures.
They say this follows the conclusion of public consultations earlier this week, which provided an opportunity for communities, stakeholders, and the wider public to engage directly with the project proponents and relevant authorities.
Permanent Secretary for Environment and Climate Change, Dr Sivendra Michael, says the process now moves into the technical review stage.
He says 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 organizations.
Dr Micheal says this stage ensures that all issues raised are rigorously evaluated against the requirements of the law.
The Ministry emphasized that the EIA process is governed by the Environment Management (Amendment) Act 2025 and the Environment Management (EIA Process) Regulations 2007, and that decisions are based on technical assessment, evidence, and statutory requirements.
The Ministry is also calling on the public to respect the process and allow the Ministry the space to complete its work in accordance with the law.
The Ministry is encouraging members of the public to exercise responsibility when sharing information and to refrain from circulating unverified or misleading content and to rely solely on official sources, including the Ministry’s official social media page for accurate and timely updates.
