GS Advanced Program 2024

Batch 1 - #Env004

Principles of Environmental Impact Assessment

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the tools available with the planners to achieve the goal of
harmonizing development activities with the environmental concerns. It is one of the most successful
interventions in environmental management.
The objective of EIA is to foresee the potential environmental problems that would arise out of a proposed
development and address them in the projects planning and design stage.

Origin in India:
The EIS was started in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission asked the Department of Science and Technology
to examine the river valley projects from environmental angle. EIA has now been made mandatory under the
Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986.

Methods of EIA:
1. To declare a national policy to encourage productive and enjoyable harmony between man and
environment.
2. To promote efforts to prevent or eliminate damage to the environment.
3. To increase understanding of ecological system and natural resources important to the nation
4. To establish a Council on Environmental Quality.

Environmental Impact Assessment and statements includes the following considerations:

1. Presentation of the existing environmental conditions in terms of physical, biological, social and economic
conditions of the site of the proposed project.
2. Statements on the possible effects of proposed project, if implemented, on the proposed site.
3. Statements about those unavoidable adverse effects which may come after the implementation.
4. Presentation of viable alternative projects to the proposed projects.
5. Evaluation of cost of the project and its probable benefits to the society.
6. Statements on suitable remedial measures of adverse effects arising out of the project after its
implementation.

Steps in EIA procedure:

1. Screening: It is done to see whether a project requires environmental clearances as per the statutory
notifications.
2. Scoping: The areas of impact that needs to be studied. Ex. Setting up of Hydro-electric project:
River, water, forests, impact on tribes, soil erosion, sediment deposition, seismicity, etc.
3. Baseline Data: It describes the existing environmental status of the identified study area.
4. Impact Prediction: Analyzing the possible effects on the physical, biological, social and economic
conditions and suggesting alternatives.
5. Assessment of alternatives, delineation of mitigation measures and Environmental Impact Assessment
Report.
6. Public Hearing: The public must be informed and consulted on a proposed development after the
completion of the EIA report.
7. Environment Management Plan: Delineation of mitigation measures including prevention and control for
each environmental component and rehabilitation and resettlement plan.
8. Decision Making: It involves consultation between the project proponent and the impact assessment
authority.
9. Monitoring: To monitor compliance of the report throughout the project. To ensure corrective actions,
wherever the impacts exceed the predicted levels.
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2006 Amendment
Decentralisation of Project Clearances: It classified the developmental projects in two categories:
 Category A (national level appraisal): projects are appraised by Impact Assessment Agency (IAA) and the
Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC).
 Category B (state-level appraisal): State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and
State Level Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC) provide clearance to the Category B projects.
Introduction of Different Stages: The Amendment introduced four stages into EIA Cycle; Screening, Scoping,
Public hearing and Appraisal.
 Category A projects require mandatory environmental clearance and thus they do not have to undergo
the screening process.
 Category B projects undergo a screening process and are further classified into B1 (Mandatorily requiring
EIA) and B2 (Not requiring EIA).
 Projects with Mandatory Clearance: Projects such as mining, thermal power plants, river valley,
infrastructure (road, highway, ports, harbours and airports) and industries including very small
electroplating or foundry units are mandated to get environmental clearance.

Difference between Rapid EIA and Comprehensive EIA:

The difference is in the time scale of the data supplied. Rapid EIA is for a speedier appraisal process. But both
types require complete coverage of all EIA procedures.
Rapid EIA: Under Rapid EIA data supplied is of only one season (other than monsoon) to reduce the time required.
Comprehensive EIA: It collects data from all four seasons.
Rapid EIA is acceptable if it does not compromise the quality of decision-making. The review of Rapid EIA
submissions will show whether a comprehensive EIA is warranted or n

Critical evaluation of EIA in India:

1. Applicability: There are several projects with environmental impacts that are exempted from the
notification. Ex. Low-scale sand mining.
2. Inadequate capacity of EIA approval authorities: Lack of technical environmental, anthropologists and
social scientists among the members and crony capitalism leads to faulty decision making.
3. Deficiencies in screening, scoping and impact analysis: There are no independent bodies and no
standardized formats for project evaluation. Absence of standardized baseline data brings arbitrariness in
impact prediction. It is done by those persons which are on payroll of company which creates conflict of
interest. They intentionally exclude forests and impact on tribes during scoping process.
4. Poor quality EIA reports: EIA is used presently as a project justification tool rather than as a project
planning tool to contribute to achieving sustainable development.
5. Inadequate public participation: In contrast to many countries like Nepal, Argentina and Australia, where
public involvement is mandatory at various stages of the EIA process (i.e. screening, scoping, report
preparation and decision making), in India consultation occurs only once, just before decision making,
and the points raised by the public are rarely taken into account. Even the notifications issued for public
hearing are not published in local vernacular languages.
6. Weak monitoring: Monitoring is not done through an independent agency. EMP of strategic industries
like nuclear energy are not put into public domain.
One of the main faults in India is that it is undertaken at a much later stage, especially after the project has been
designed, approved and almost ready for construction. By the time EIA is mandated, huge costs are incurred and
the project becomes too big to fall.
While shortcomings are challenging, Government of India is showing a high degree of commitment. The EIA
system in the country is undergoing progressive refinements by steadily removing the constraints.

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 GS Advanced Program 2024
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Ways for strengthening the EIA process:

1. Independent Agency: The entire EIA process right from screening to monitoring should be done by
independent agencies and establishing a National Accreditation Body for agencies carrying out EIA.
2. Creation of centralized baseline data bank.
3. Applying Precautionary Principle: The list of concerns raised by the public should be studied in detail to
arrive at any conclusion. Ex. GM crops. Clearances given to project that is not aptly justified becomes
questionable as happened in Sethusamundram Project.
4. Strategic Environment Assessment: It helps in choosing a project and not just evaluate it. It offers
alternatives and guides project financing. The directives of SEA are reflected in the National Environment
Policy 2006. Nepal also carries out SEA’s.
5. Robust and Inclusive public hearing: A key role for local people through Panchayats and ULB’s at every
stage. Special focus on forests and tribals. The traditional knowledge of locals needs to be incorporated.
6. Greater transparency in the clearance process and dissemination of all documents for public scrutiny.

Case study: Neutrino Observatory, Bodhi Hills, Theni

The project has been approved under category B item 8(a) — building and construction projects — of the Schedule
to the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006. But it should have been treated as category A
as the project lies just 4.9 km from the national park in Idukki district of Kerala.
For one, the EIA was done by the Salim Ali Centre for Ornithology and Natural History, which is an “unaccredited
agency”.
And though a public consultation with local people who have a “plausible stake” in the project was conducted in
July 2010, the details of the meeting were submitted only by the end of February 2018.

Cast Study: Nauroji Nagar (Under Smart City Project) – NBCC

 Portions of the environmental impact assessment (EIA) plan used to obtain permission for the
redevelopment of Nauroji Nagar, were plagiarized.
 NBCC hired the Chennai-based firm, Hubert Enviro Care Systems (HECS) as consultants to prepare the
EIA.
 In the 168-page plan for Nauroji Nagar, they mention collecting water samples for assessing quality
between October and December 2015 from “…Vellanguli lake, Kallidai lake, Singampatti lake, Manimuthar
dam, Thamirabarani river d/s, Thamirabarani river u/s, Ambasamudram lake and Gadana river.”
 These are water bodies in Tamil Nadu

Forum Learning Centre: Delhi - 2nd Floor, IAPL House, 19 Pusa Road, Karol Bagh, New Delhi - 110005 | Patna - 2nd floor, AG Palace, E Boring Canal
Road, Patna, Bihar 800001 | Hyderabad - 1st & 2nd Floor, SM Plaza, RTC X Rd, Indira Park Road, Jawahar Nagar, Hyderabad, Telangana 500020
9311740400, 9311740900 | https://academy.forumias.com | admissions@forumias.academy | helpdesk@forumias.academy