Lesson No.

12
ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT
ASSESSMENT

Prof. Prabha Panth

Osmania University
 Environmental Impact
Assessment
• Industries create large amounts of pollution and
deplete natural resources like ground water.
• In the past, polluting industries were set up without
any environmental clearance by the government.
• Therefore they caused huge environmental
damages, affecting ecology and health.
• To avoid this, it is now necessary for every new
factory/project to get environmental clearance
before starting production.

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 Definition
• Environmental Impact Assessment or
EIA, refers to the evaluation of the
effects likely to arise from a major
project or action, significantly affecting
the natural and man-made
environment.
– It is the process of predicting and
evaluating an action’s or project’s impact
on the environment, so as to assist
decision making.
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 – It aims to prevent environmental
degradation by giving decision makers
better information about the
consequences that industrial projects
could have on the environment.
– All new development projects have to
submit their EIA reports to the
Environmental Ministry of the country, to
get environmental or green clearance to
commence production.

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 – EIA helps to identify possible environmental effects
of the proposed project,
– It proposes measures to mitigate adverse effects and
– Predicts whether there will be significant adverse
environmental effects, even after the mitigation is
implemented.

ADVANTAGES OF EIA:
• Since the environmental effects of the project
and their mitigation are considered early in the
project planning cycle, protection of the
environment can be a part of the project plan.
• Also it predicts ways to use natural resources
(like water), in an optimal way.
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 • Thus leading to saving of time and cost of the
project
• It also lessens conflicts between the
industry/project and the local community, by
sharing information about environmental
impacts, and involving the latter in decision
making.
• EIA also aims at informing decision makers, and
helps to lay the base for environmentally sound
projects.
• These are the benefits of integrating EIA in all
stages of a project, from exploration and
planning, through construction, operations,
decommissioning, and beyond site closure.
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• Thus the EIA is a) Anticipatory, b)Participatory,
and c) the project can be abandoned if
environmental impact is high.
• In all the stages, it is necessary to have public
participation, as the local people are greatly
affected by the environmental damages caused
by a project/ factory.
• For example:
– Hydro electric, thermal, and nuclear projects,
– Pharmaceuticals, chemicals, fertilisers,
pesticide factories.

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 Origins of EIA
• EIA as a mandatory regulatory procedure originated in
USA, in the early 1970s.
• Other countries, like Canada, Australia, and New
Zealand (1973-74), followed.
• Some developing countries such as Columbia (1974),
Philippines (1978), also introduced EIA in the 70’s.
• In India:
– The Government of India introduced EIA in 1994,
under the Environmental (Protection) Act of 1986,
– Environmental Clearance (EC) was made mandatory
for expansion or modernisation of any activity or for
setting up new projects listed in Schedule 1 of the
notification.
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 – New EIA legislation was introduced in
September 2006.
– Mandatory for various 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.
– Project clearance to be given by State
governments, depending on the
size/capacity of the project.
– Donor agencies operating in India like the
World Bank and the ADB, also insist on
environmental clearance to projects funded
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 Objectives of EIA
1) Information: It has to disclose to decision
makers and the public the environmental
impacts of the proposed activity.
2) Avoidance/Reduction: Identify ways of
reducing or avoiding environmental effects
of the project.
3) Participation: Public should be made
aware of the environmental impacts, and
their participation is necessary in decision
making. Because the locals are the first to
feel the environmental impacts.
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 Elements of EIA
1. Alternatives: Most important part of EIA.
The project manager should give
alternatives regarding:
a) Locations for the project
b) Different and less polluting/ damaging
available technology
c) Different available product – less polluting/
damaging.
The choice of the alternative should be that
which has the least environmental impact.
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 2. Designing: of the selected project – so as
to have least environmental impact.
3. Screening: to decide which of the
project’s processes and products requires
EIA.
4. Scoping: To determine the scope of the
EIA – whether it will affect air, water, soil,
or cause noise, vibration, fumes, etc.
5. EIA Report: also called EIS or
Environmental Report Statement – to be
prepared and submitted to the
government for its scrutiny. On the basis
of EIS the government will accept or reject
the project proposal.

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6) Reviewing: the EIA Report has to be
reviewed by both the Government and the
public.
7) Consultancy: and participation of the
public is required. If the people feel that
they are threatened by the project, they
can reject it setting up in their locality.
8) Monitoring: If the project is passed, then
government should keep monitoring it
continuously to ensure that it is following all
the environmental laws and regulations.
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 EIA in India
• EIA was introduced in India in late 70s as an
administrative requirement.
• As per EIA Notification 1994: 32 Categories of Projects/
Processes require environmental clearance.
• Project level EIAs are practiced in India.
EIA Notification 2006. Objectives:
To formulate a transparent decentralized and efficient regulatory
mechanism to:
• Incorporate necessary environmental safeguards at planning stage;
• Involve stakeholders in the Public Consultation Process;
• Identify Developmental Projects based on Impact Potential instead
of the investment criteria.
• Categorization of projects into ‘A and ‘B’ Category based on impact
potential
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 • 60 days for prescribing TOR (terms of reference)
• 45 days for completing Public Hearing
• 105 days -- Environmental Appraisal and communicating
the decision.
Weakness of EIA in India:
• Quality of EIA Reports
• Monitoring and Compliance of EC Conditions
• Availability of reliable environmental data base
• Technical manpower for EIA Process
• Technology evaluation for mitigation.
• Corruption and bribery.
Environmentally unsafe projects are still being permitted.

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 Cases in India
• EIA reports prepared by so called ‘experts’, there is large
scale misrepresentation of environmental impacts of the
projects.
• For example, a bauxite mining firm in Maharashtra gave
an EIA report based on EIA of some Russian firm!
• An EIA report of a river valley project in Karnataka, gave
data of another project thousands of miles away.
• Well known institutes like NEERI (Karcham Wangtoo
hydropower project of Himachal Pradesh) and TERI
(Dandeli hydropower project in Karnataka) submit false
data in their reports.
• Only through NGOs, agitations by locals, and Court
orders, environmental laws being somewhat implemented
in India.
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