Environment Impact Assessment Part II

Environmental Impact Assessment is the measurement or estimation of the ‘Effect’ any program, initiative, or regulation may have had on the immediate ‘Environmental’ during the execution. It is a practical tool to ensure development management and avoid permanent or other environmental damage. Whilst the purpose of such assessments will be valid worldwide, the approach and techniques employed may change due to differences in environmental standards in different parts of the world.

What Is Environmental Impact Assessment? 

Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a decision-making tool that gives information on the anticipated implications of construction projects to people deciding whether or not the project should be approved.

An EIA aims to evaluate the probable ecological, social, and healthcare repercussions of a proposed community so that individuals responsible for designing and implementing the project know the probable consequences of those actions before making them more accountable.

Its goal is to make decision-making more informative and accessible while attempting to prevent, eliminate, or minimise potential negative consequences by considering alternative ideas, places, or methods. Environmental impact assessments (EIA) are a subset of environmental assessment (EA) procedures. While EIA refers to individual projects, EA is a broader term that includes programs’ systemic environmental impact studies (SEA). Other assessment forms include ambitions, strategies, and other sorts of assessment.

EIA’s Scope of Application in India

The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) was originally used in 1978 to evaluate specific river valley projects around the nation. It was then expanded to encompass a variety of other development procedures, and EIA is currently required for over 30 projects.

The Environmental Protection Rules, 1986, allow for the encroachment of certain constraints on the building projects, augmentation, or industrialisation of individual programs without express permission from the Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (EIAA) established under the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the federal state, or federal district level.

Environmental Appraisal Procedure in India

The phases of an EIA strategy will differ based on the nation’s or donor’s demands. On the other hand, most EIA procedures have a common framework, and following the key steps is a fundamental criterion of good practice. The environmental impact assessment has eight phases, each equally significant in establishing the project’s overall success. Typically, the comprehensive EIA approach will start with screening to guarantee that time and resources are focused on ecologically significant projects and finish with some sort of follow-up on the choices and actions made due to the EIA report.

Environmental Appraisal Procedure in India is divided into eight phases, which are briefly described below:

1. Screening: The first step in the EIA process is to evaluate if the prospective task involves an EIA and, if so, what degree of assessment is needed.

2. Scoping: Each stage outlines the most important issues and consequences that should be examined further. This step also establishes the study’s boundaries and duration limit.

3. Impact assessment: This step of the EIA analyses and forecasts the project’s anticipated environmental and social effect and assesses its importance.

4. Mitigation: This part of the EIA process suggests steps to mitigate and minimise development activities’ potentially negative environmental effects.

5. Reporting: This step provides the EIA results to the judiciary body and other relevant individuals in the form of a document.

6. Review of EIA: Observers the report’s sufficiency and efficacy and provides information on the decision.

7. Decision-making: It finalises whether the proposal should be rejected, authorised, or modified further.

8. Post monitoring: After the project is authorised, the post-monitoring stage begins. It verifies that the program’s consequences do not exceed regulatory limits and that mitigation actions are implemented following the EIA commission’s recommendations.

Coastal Zone Management EIA of Coasts

The tourist industry must be ecological and contribute to the local society’s well-being and biodiversity conservation. Infrastructure construction, trash and industrial wastewater, resource usage, and native animal interaction directly strain coastal areas. This is where the Coastal zone management EIA of Coasts becomes useful.

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is in charge of it (NOAA). Specific initiatives directly impacting tourist development are subjected to the environmental assessment process. Incorporating socioeconomic impact assessments into current SEA & EIA processes might substantially influence long-term development. Social cost-benefit analysis is the recommended methodology for evaluating suitable options and their consequences on the community and environment. Creating an ecological and sociocultural management strategy helps protect the environment tool offered.

The Main Participants Of EIA 

EIA covers both public and private areas. The following are the six main participants of EIA:

• Those who suggest the initiative are known as proposers.

• On behalf of the project proponent, an environmental consultant develops an EIA.

• Board of Control for Pollution (State or National).

• The general population has the right to express themselves.

• The Agency for Impact Assessment.

• The Ministry of Environment and Forests’ regional headquarters.

Conclusion

EIA’s findings are the product of expert evaluations driven by concerns highlighted during the planning phases and a concurrent public engagement process. The public comment period was lengthy, and every attempt was made to include as many landowners as feasible.