Environmental Impact Assessment

Current framework of EIA

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important management tool for ensuring optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development. EIA has now been made mandatory under the Environmental (Protection Act, 1986) for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crore and above.

The objective of the EIA:

• To identify, predict and evaluate the economic, environmental and social impact of development activities.
• To provide information on the environmental consequences for decision making.
• To promote environmentally sound and sustainable development through the identification of appropriate alternatives and mitigation measures.
• To identify  and  quantify  emission  sources  and  determine  the  significance  of  impacts  on sensitive receivers and potential affected uses.
• To identify  and  quantify  any  potential  losses  or  damage  to  flora,  fauna  and  natural habitats.

Issues Related to EIA:

• Compromised Decision-making:
  • On development and infrastructure projects.
  • Lack the expected degrees of honesty, owing to bias, corruption, exaggeration and wrong claims.
• Use the best available scientific knowledge to ensure that development does not lead to negative impacts.
  • EIA reports for the approved “redevelopment” projects in Delhi were prepared by copying from copyrighted papers, web-pages and other EIA reports.
• Information Asymmetry: There are many instances of missing or misleading information which understate the potential impact of the projects.
• Poor Public Consultation before EIA approval.
• Lack of awareness among the local people.
• Accessibility Issues: Most of the time EIA reports are unavailable in local languages, thus local people are unable to decipher the reports, and are misled by the proponents

Way Forward:

• Competent authorities must ensure that a project causes
  • minimal adverse environmental impact and
  • generates maximum social and economic benefits.
• Democratisation of environmental governance.
• Participatory processes – understand and plan for unforeseen effects.
• In 2009, the Delhi High Court in Utkarsh Mandal v/s Union of India upheld that it is the duty of the EACs to consider the merits of the objections raised at the public hearings.
• Vulnerable Groups:
  • Women and other vulnerable sections of the society are the first and most affected by consequences of developmental processes and damage to the environment.
  • Adverse impacts of development projects can be reduced with the full and equal participation of both genders, particularly women in decision-making processes.
• NGOs, civil society groups and local communities need to build their capacities to use the EIA notification towards better decision making on projects.

Conclusion:

An EIA should not be used just as a means for obtaining an environmental clearance; rather, project proponents should use it as a management tool to assess the soundness of a project plan. The focus of EIA needs to shift from utilization and exploitation of natural resources to conservation of natural resources.