Shankar IAS Summary: Environmental Impact Assessment - 2 | Famous Books for UPSC Exam (Summary & Tests) PDF Download

Introduction

Environmental protection and sustainable development have served as the fundamental principles guiding the policies and procedures regulating industrial and other developmental activities in India.

The Need For EIA

• Initially, the assessment covered projects requiring approval from the Public Investment Board, but these were administrative decisions lacking legislative support.

• In 1986, the Government of India enacted the Environment (Protection) Act to address environmental concerns comprehensively.

• As part of the Act's objectives, a decision was made to make environmental impact assessment a statutory requirement.
  
  
  

• Under the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986, the Government issued various notifications related to specific geographical areas, extending beyond the general EIA.

• These notifications included prohibitions on industries within specific belts, restrictions in ecologically sensitive regions, and the classification of coastal stretches as coastal regulation zones with corresponding prohibitions.

• Notable instances include restrictions in the Raigarh district of Maharashtra, the Doon Valley, coastal regulation in various stretches, Dahanu Taluka in Maharashtra, specified areas in the Aravalli Range, and the north-western region of Numaligarh in Assam.

• The measures aimed to regulate industrial and other activities that could lead to pollution and congestion, providing a comprehensive framework for environmental protection in diverse regions.

The EIA Cycle and Procedures

Screening

• The screening process is conducted to determine whether a project necessitates environmental clearance in accordance with statutory notifications. Screening criteria are based on:
  • Scales of investment,
  • Type of development, and
  • Location of development.
• A project requires statutory environmental clearance only if the provisions of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification and/or one or more statutory notifications mentioned above encompass it.

Scoping

• Scoping involves detailing the terms of reference for the EIA. This task is undertaken by the consultant in collaboration with the project proponent, with guidance, if necessary, from the Impact Assessment Agency.

• The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued sector-wise guidelines (comprehensive terms of reference) delineating significant issues to be addressed in EIA studies.

• Quantifiable impacts are assessed based on magnitude, prevalence, frequency, and duration, while non-quantifiable impacts (e.g., aesthetic or recreational value) are evaluated through socio-economic criteria.

• Once areas with potentially significant impacts are identified, the baseline status of these areas should be monitored. Subsequently, predictions should be made regarding the anticipated changes in these areas due to the construction and operation of the proposed project.

Baseline Data

Public Hearing

Anyone anticipated to be impacted by the proposed project has the right to obtain the Executive Summary of the EIA. Potentially affected individuals may encompass:

• Genuine local residents.
• Local associations.
• Environmental groups actively engaged in the area.
• Any other individual situated at the project site or sites of displacement.

Environmental Groups

These individuals are entitled to present oral or written suggestions to the State Pollution Control Board, providing them with an opportunity to contribute to the decision-making process.