Environmental Impact Assessment(EIA)

What is EIA

     EIA is Environmental Impact AssessmentEnvironmental Impact Assessment measures the likelihood of ecological consequences of a planned project or development, considering interconnected socioeconomic, cultural, and human-health effects, both positive and negative.

History of the Environmental Impact Assessment in the World

    Environmental Impact Assessment has been a practice in India for about 20 years. It all began in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission requested that the Department of Science and Technology investigate the river-valley projects from an environmental perspective. This  was subsequently extended to include those projects., The Public Investment Board had to approve it. As of 1994, the Central Government's environmental clearance was an administrative decision without any legislative backing.

    Under the Environmental Act 1986, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests of the Government of India promulgated an EIA notification in 1994, requiring Environmental Clearance for any extension or modernization of any activity or the formation of new initiatives indicated in the notification's Schedule 1. Since then, the EIA notification of 1994 has been amended 12 times. 

    In 2006, the Ministry of Environment and Forestry published new EIA legislation. Various projects, such as mining, thermal power plants, river valleys, infrastructure, and industries, including very small electroplating or foundry units, will be required to obtain environmental clearance under the notification. Unlike the EIA Notification of 1994, however, the new legislation has placed the burden of project clearance on the state government, depending on the project's size and capacity.  

How it began??

     Specific activities permitted under the Coastal Regulation Zone Act of 1991 also necessitate the same level of clearance. Furthermore, donor agencies operating in India, such as the World Bank and the Asian Development Bank, have their own environmental clearance requirements for fund projects.
Evolution of the EIA in India
The United States was the first country to prioritize EIA with the National Environmental Protection Act (NEPA) passage in 1969. Following that, a large number of countries did as well. In 1980, the World Conservation Strategy emphasized the importance of integrating environmental concerns with development. In 1987, EIA became an integral part of World Bank policy.

 
In 1976-77 EIA was implemented in India, the Planning Commission asked the then-Department of Science and Technology to investigate river-valley projects from an environmental standpoint. This was later expanded to include projects that required Public Investment Board approval. Administrative decisions were made in this case. 

In 1986, the Indian government passed the Environment (Protection) Act. One of the decisions made to achieve the Act's goals was to make EIA mandatory. Following the legal process, a notification was issued in 1994, which was later amended in 1994, 1997, and 2000, making environmental impact assessment a legal requirement for 30 activities. This is the primary piece of legislation in India that governs EIA. Aside from that, the Government of India issued several notifications related to environmental impact assessment under the Environment Protection Act of 1986.

Steps involved in the EIA in India

     The following are some of the essential procedures used in India's environmental impact assessment:
Decision-making: The project proponent and the authority in charge of the impact assessment consult during the decision-making process.
Screening: Screening is carried out to determine whether a project requires environmental clearance following statutory requirements.
Public Hearing: Following the completion of an EIA report, the law requires that the public be informed and consulted about a proposed development. 
Project Proposal: Any proponent embarking on a significant development project must notify IAA (Impact Assessment Agency) in writing by submitting a project proposal.
Scoping and Consideration of Alternatives: Scoping is the process of defining the EIA's scope of work.

Baseline Data Collection: The baseline data describes the current state of the environment in the study area.
Impact Prediction and Assessment of Alternatives: Impact prediction is a method of mapping the environmental effects of the project's major components and alternatives.
Monitoring the Clearance Conditions: During the construction and operation phases of a project, monitoring is required.
EIA Report: An EIA report should give the decision-maker clear information on the various environmental scenarios that could occur without the project, with the project, and with project alternatives.

Latest EIA notification in India and features 

    The Ministry of Environment, Forestry, and Climate Change has proposed a draught Environmental Impact Assessment notification for 2020, which would replace the 2006 EIA notification. Implementing an online system aims to make the process of obtaining environmental clearances more transparent and efficient.
A study or report on environmental impact assessment is used to identify, assess, and evaluate the economic, ecological, and social effects of a proposed project or development activity. The EIA is a critical aspect of sustainable development because it is used to predict the environmental impacts of a project during the pre-planning stage so that decisions can be made to minimize any adverse effects on the environment.
Controversies on the recent EIA notifications

The new draught was created to make processes more transparent and efficient. However, the draught proposes removing several activities from the scope of public consultation.
For the last three decades and more, environmental protection has been gradually eroded in the name of development and globalization. It was causing severe negative consequences for the environment and human health. It has also become a difficult task for the government, with artificial oxygen booths being set up due to the situation. As a result, while drafting the EIA draught, the Union government should be aware of the gravity of the problem. In addition, the public hearing notice period has been reduced from 30 to 20 days. Studying the draught EIA report is more complex, especially if it is not widely available or in the regional language.

the low-quality way in which public hearings are held because there are not enough cumulative Environmental Impact Assessments lack honesty in the EIA Reports' finalization, failure to assess, monitor, or hold violators accountable for their actions