An EIA is a structured approach employed for analyzing
the likely environmental impacts of a proposed project or
development.
It helps identify significant impacts, explore mitigation
measures, and ensure compliance with environmental laws
and regulations.
7 essential steps involved in the EIA process
General flow diagram of the EIA process, how it fits in with parallel technical and economic studies and the
role of public participation.
In some cases, such as small-scale irrigation schemes, the transition from identification through to detailed
design may be rapid and some steps in the EIA procedure may be omitted.
Screening often results in a categorization of the project and from this a decision is made on whether or not a
full EIA is to be carried out.
Scoping is the process of determining which are the most critical issues to study and will involve community
participation to some degree. It is at this early stage that EIA can most strongly influence the outline proposal.
Detailed prediction and mitigation studies follow scoping and are carried out in parallel with feasibility studies.
The main output report is called an Environmental Impact Statement, and contains a detailed plan
for managing and monitoring environmental impacts both during and after implementation.
Finally, an audit of the EIA process is carried out some time after implementation. The audit serves a useful
feedback and learning function.
Resources
An EIA team for an irrigation and drainage study is likely to be composed of some or all of the following:
• a team leader;
• a hydrologist;
• an irrigation/drainage engineer;
• a fisheries biologist/ecologist;
• an agronomist/pesticide expert;
• a soil conservation expert;
• a biological/environmental scientist;
• an economist,
• a social scientist and
• a health scientist (preferably a epidemiologist).
The final structure of the team will vary depending on the project.
Specialists may also be required for fieldwork, laboratory testing, library research, data processing, surveys and
modelling.
The team leader will require significant management skill to co-ordinate the work of a team with diverse skills and
knowledge.
There will be a large number of people involved in EIA apart from the full-time team members. These people will be based
in a wide range of organizations, such as the project proposing and authorizing bodies, regulatory authorities and various
interest groups. Such personnel would be located in various agencies and also in the private sector; a considerable number
Resources
• There will be a large number of people involved in EIA apart from the full-time team members.
• These people will be based in a wide range of organizations, such as the project proposing and authorizing bodies,
regulatory authorities and various interest groups.
• Such personnel would be located in various agencies and also in the private sector;
• a considerable number will need specific EIA training.
• The length of the EIA will obviously depend on the programme, plan or project under review.
• However, the process usually lasts from between 6 and 18 months from preparation through to review.
• It will normally be approximately the same length as the feasibility study of which it should form an integral part.
• It is essential that the EIA team and the team carrying out the feasibility study work together and not in isolation from
each other.
• This often provides the only opportunity for design changes to be made and mitigation measures to be incorporated in
the project design.
• The cost of the study will vary considerably and only very general estimates can be given here.
• Typically, costs vary from between 0.1 and 0.3 percent of the total project cost for large projects over US$ 100 million
and from 0.2 to 0.5 percent for projects less than US$ 100 million.
• For small projects the cost could increase to between 1 and 3 percent of the project cost.
Step 1: Screening and Scoping
Screening
Screening is the initial step in the process of EIA, wherein it is determined whether the project warrants conducting an
EIA or not.
Not every project needs a full assessment; small, less significant projects might not have to go through the entire
process.
Screening assures that only those projects with high probable environmental impacts are subjected to an EIA.
Scoping
Once it’s established that an EIA is needed, the second step is scoping.
This is where the particular environmental effects that have to be taken into account are identified, including the most
important ones that may impact the environment, human health, and the local communities.
Scoping establishes the limits for data gathering and analysis.
Step 2: Baseline Data Collection
• Prior to judging the effects of an impending project, one needs to know the conditions of the environment at the
current moment.
• This is where baseline data collection is relevant.
• Baseline data is the state of the environment at the project site prior to the initiation of the project.
• Having this data collected is a basis for future comparison to establish if the project induces negative changes in
the environment.
Types of Environmental Testing:
Process Water Testing: Making sure water consumed in the course of the project is not contaminated with dangerous
chemicals or germs.
Drinking Water Testing: When the project is set up to affect public water supply systems, testing for impurities is
crucial to ascertain safety and quality.
Environmental Testing: This may involve air quality tests, soil sampling, or noise monitoring, all of which offer a full
picture of the immediate surroundings.
Step 3: Impact Prediction
• After collecting the baseline data, the next step is to predict the potential environmental impacts the project may
cause.
• This is done by evaluating how the activities of the project would influence different components of the
environment, e.g., air, water, soil, vegetation, and animals.
• In this phase - experts employ sophisticated modeling methodologies to predict how the project can affect the
surrounding environment under various conditions.
• For instance, we may predict construction activity effects on local bodies of water or the effects of noise and dust
on wildlife.
Examples of Testing Services
Illumination Testing: If your project features extensive outdoor lighting, illumination testing can assess the impact the
project will have on light pollution and local ecosystems.
Hazardous Waste Testing: If the project involves chemicals or materials that may be hazardous to the environment or
human health, hazardous waste testing can detect and reduce risks.
Step 4: Impact Mitigation
• After the likely environmental effects have been foreseen, the time has come to design mitigation measures.
• Mitigation involves measures to minimize, prevent, or offset any negative effects considered during the forecasting
process.
• The intention is to make sure that the project least effects the environment, human health, and local populations
negatively.
For example, if there is a concern with air quality, installing measures such as compressed air quality test services
will ensure that emissions are in control, and air standards are maintained. In the case of hazardous chemicals,
containment and waste management will be in place.
Step 5: Public Consultation
• The public consultation process is an integral component of the EIA process, which enables stakeholders such as
local communities, nongovernmental organizations, and government agencies to make comments on the project.
• This process provides transparency and enables concerns to be addressed prior to advancing the project.
• Public participation facilitates building trust and ensures that the project takes into account the needs and
worries of the impacted community.
Throughout public consultations, a number of different environmental test results, for example, compressed air tests
or water quality testing, can be presented to educate the public and respond to concerns over the environmental
implications of the project.
Step 6: Environmental Management Plan (EMP)
The Environmental Management Plan (EMP) is the plan for the specific actions and measures to take to manage and
mitigate the environmental effects of the project.
It is a blueprint for how the project will be carried out in an environmentally sound way, ensuring as much
minimization of adverse effects as possible.
The EMP must contain:
Plans for on-going monitoring and compliance monitoring to verify that the project remains within legal
environmental boundaries.
Specific plans on waste management, water saving, energy efficiency, and protection of habitats.
Specific testing schedules and milestones for mitigation measures.
Step 7: Monitoring and Evaluation
• The last process of the EIA is monitoring and evaluation.
• Once the project has been implemented, continued monitoring is necessary to verify that the mitigating measures
are in place and the project still complies with environmental regulations.
• This process provides the capability for modification if the project is determined to have unexpected effects.
• Monitoring compliance and environmental audits are imperative at this stage.
For instance, if your project impacts local water resources, process water analysis and drinking water analysis will
have to be conducted on a regular basis to confirm that the water is safe and clean.
Likewise, hazardous waste testing will be required to watch over waste management protocols.
Conclusion
• The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) process is a critical structure for coordinating the environmental
impacts of a project, minimizing its probable harms, and giving top priority to sustainability.
• From screening and scoping to monitoring and evaluation, every stage is crucial to the determination, forecasting,
and mitigation of environmental risks.
• Through intensive environmental testing including process water testing, drinking water testing, illumination
testing, and hazardous waste testing, you guarantee your project is compliant with regulatory requirements and
runs smoothly with the least possible environmental disturbance.
Early Vision and Planning
The project was first conceived in the 1940s when the concept of constructing a chain of dams on
the Narmada River was initially considered.
In 1946, the Government of India launched preliminary studies, and post-independence, the Central Waterways,
Irrigation, and Navigation Commission was tasked with drawing up an overall plan.
Due to interstate disputes over sharing water, the project was postponed for decades.
These disputes led to the establishment of the Narmada Water Disputes Tribunal (NWDT) in 1969
under the Inter-State Water Disputes Act, 1956.
It took the Tribunal nearly a decade of hearings to make its findings in 1979 to allow the construction of 30 major,
135 medium, and over 3,000 minor dams along the Narmada River and its tributaries.
Ecological and environmental damage the project has caused
Land submerged
• A fact-finding report by the Delhi Solidarity Group and others published in 2015 stated that the total land in
submergence in Madhya Pradesh was 20,822 hectares, in Maharashtra – 9,590 hectares and in Gujarat 7,112
hectares.
• Over 13,000 hectares of forest cover, 48.5% in Maharashtra, 31% in Gujarat and 20.5% in Madhya Pradesh have
been projected to be submerged by the SSP.
• A report by social activist Shabnam Hashmi in 2019, from when she visited affected areas in Madhya Pradesh
stated that in Chikhalda, a village which was home to Asia’s first farmer, was completely submerged due to the
SSP.
• Over 7,000 hectares of land became islands due to the inundation.
• Villages saw partial or complete crop loss.
• They couldn’t harvest crops and also lost standing crops due to the inundation.
• Farmers lost banana crops, maize, sugarcane, cotton and wheat crops due to submergence.
Impact of large dams
Explaining the impact of big dams on the environment International Rivers explained that apart from the obvious
direct impacts on the biological, chemical and physical properties of rivers, the dam wall blocks fish migrations, traps
sediments which are essential for maintaining physical processes and downstream habitats and the changes due to
the artificial reservoir habitat are not suitable for the aquatic plants and animals that have evolved with a given river
system.
• A 2005 study by Talib N Ellison titled, “The Sardar Sarovar Dam and Ethnic Conflict in India” which stated the
environmental impacts of the dam project in detail.
• It states that apart from the salinization and destruction of plants and fish, waterlogging renders land useless thus
bringing about starvation as crops cannot be grown there.
• Apart from this, salinization reduces the quantity of potable water.
• It added that the Indian Institute of Science estimated that 40 percent of the command area of the dam would be
waterlogged leading to the reduction of the crop yields.
Independent Review by the World Bank
An impact assessment report, “The Independent Review of the Sardar Sarovar Projects 1991-1992” stated that in
addition to 100,000 persons living in the villages in the submergence area, there are likely to be 140,000 families who
will be affected by the construction of the canal and irrigation system.
• Finally, there are the persons living downstream, below the dam, numbering thousands more, whose lives will be
significantly affected due to the impact on fisheries and salt-water ingress.
• Many reports on the dam project have stated that construction at the site even before the required clearances
came in from the Narmada Water Dispute Tribunal Award (NWDTA), Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF)
and the Planning Commission (PC).
• When the project was approved by credit from the World Bank in 1985, it had still not received environmental
clearance by the MoEF.
• A report by the World Bank which conducted an Independent Review of the project in 1992 stated, “The Sardar
Sarovar has therefore come under scrutiny at a time of global awakening to the consequences of large-scale
projects in rural and remote areas, especially those areas inhabited by indigenous or tribal people.”
• It added, “The Government of India has developed a comprehensive structure of policies for environmental
protection and assessment of environmental impact. Despite this structure of policies, the history of the
environmental aspects of the Sardar Sarovar is a history of non-compliance.
Independent Review by the World Bank
Not until 1987 did India’s Ministry of Environment and Forests give a conditional environmental clearance for the
dam and canal project. The clearance provided that instead of completing environmental impact studies before
approval of the Sardar Sarovar, the studies would be done pati passit, that is, concurrently with construction. This
approach undermines the very basis for environmental planning.”
In its report, the World Bank analysed several environmental issues.
• First, significant discrepancies in the hydrological data and analyses indicated that the Sardar Sarovar would not
perform as planned:
no realistic operational analysis of the project upon which to base an impact assessment had been done.
The backwater effect of sedimentation upstream of the dam had been neglected by the officials.
The Independent Review found that the backwater effect could mean a rapid, continuing, and cumulative
rise in water level in the river above the reservoir, which could cause flooding to extensive areas of densely
populated farmland.
• Second, the Independent Review found that no assessment of downstream impact had been done.
The implications of the Sardar Sarovar for the geomorphology of the lower reaches of the river and its
estuary, and for the fishery and the people living in the region were unknown.
The Hilsa fishery, for example, the largest on the west coast and on which thousands of people depended,
would suffer severe losses or be eliminated completely. It also noted that the measures at the time proposed
mitigate the problem were inadequate.
Independent Review by the World Bank
• Thirdly, around the command area, the Independent Review found that there were serious problems with
waterlogging and salinity, adding that the environmental consequences of the project had not been properly
studied.
Loss of forests
A critique of the Narmada Valley Project by Kalpavriksh in 1988 mentioned that the “compensatory afforestation”
undertaken by the authorities was hardly compensatory because the deciduous forests cut down had developed over
a million of years and the plantations to be done could never mimic the original diversity.
It questioned, “The afforestation plan in fact includes some exotic commercially useful species. Certainly, there is no
conscious attempt on part of either the SSP authorities to replant exactly what is going to be lost. How could they,
considering a complete flora listing of the submergence zones has till date not been done?”
It stated that the project authorities had initially valued forests only in terms of their timber, firewood and minor
forest produce yield, completely ignoring crucial ecological functions like soil preservation, water replenishment,
microclimatic stabilization and storage of genetic pools.
Loss of forests
Another study, “Uprooting Forests, Planting Trees: Success of Compensatory Afforestation Measures Mitigating the
Deforestation for the Sardar Sarovar Dam, India” by Dipti Bhatnagar stated that much of the Compensatory
Afforestation (CAF) was planned and executed to be very far away from the original riparian forest that is being
submerged near the Narmada River.
The wisdom of this is certainly questionable, since it is supposed to compensate the original forest.
• Including the 27 villages of Kutch, 51% of the plantations were created in regions where the soil and climate is
very different from that which is being submerged in the riparian region.
• The Morse Committee Report noticed the futility of these far away plantations.
• Talking about the plantations in Kutch, they said, “By placing the Compensatory Afforestation in an entirely
different ecological zone, one that is marginal for forest development in any case, Gujarat has ensured that the
forest created will have no resemblance to that submerged.”
Loss of wildlife
• The critique by Kalpavriksh stated that the SSP authorities told the Department of Environment that at the time,
there was no wildlife present in the reservoir area of the proposed dam and in its vicinity.
• Though there were few large mammals left in the submergence zone, the forests contained insects, reptiles,
amphibians and birds. Given this, the translocation of such animals was impossible and thus, the dam had
contributed to the inevitable loss of wildlife.
• In 2018, the Narmada Pradushan Nivaran Samiti and the Bharuch Citizen Council filed a plea with the National
Green Tribunal (NGT) complaining that the drying up of the river bed was causing immense damage to agriculture,
environment and local industries, with the petitioners claiming that the river had been reduced to a small stream
due to less water being released from the dam.
• The plea stated, “Due to unavailability of surface water, water intensive and heavily polluting industries along the
Narmada Estuary withdrew large quantities of water from bore wells, aggravating water crisis and accelerating rate
of toxic sea water intrusion into the aquifers of the downstream area.”
Loss of wildlife
It added, “Consistent negligence to ensure minimum downstream flow from the Sardar Sarovar dam led to
permanent and detrimental changes in the downstream hydro-ecology leading to habitat destruction, increased soil
salinity in the agricultural lands, groundwater contamination and changes in the overall environment and was
manifested in its worst form during the summer of 2016.”
It is in light of these findings, which are just a snapshot of the mistakes committed by the authorities, one can safely
say that the Sardar Sarovar Dam Project was flawed right from the start.
It violated laws by not waiting for clearances and did not undertake apt measures to understand the actual damage to
the ecology of the area by going about wanton felling of trees and damaging other means of livelihoods.
With the current scenario of the environmental regulations being violated in the country, the actions of the SSP
authorities only show that it is not new for the government to do so and live with impunity.
Adding to this, the more pressing issue is one of relief and rehabilitation of the Adivasis, which has still not been
carried out to its true extent more than three decades later.
Public Involvement in EIA:
Levels and forms of public involvement
Level Form of involvement
Informing One way flow of information from the proponent to the public
Two way flow of information between the proponent and the
Consulting public with opportunities for the public to express views on the
proposal
Interactive exchange between the proponent and the public
encompassing shared analysis and agenda setting and the
Participating
development of understood and agreed positions on the
proposal and its impacts
Face to face discussion between the proponent and key
stakeholders to build consensus and reach a mutually
Negotiating
acceptable resolution of issues, for example on a package of
impact mitigation and compensation measures.
International Framework for Public Participation
Rio Declaration, Principle 10
Principle 10 of the 1992 Rio Declaration7 that emerged from the United Nations Conference on Environment and
Development --also known as the Earth Summit--, articulated three pivotal principles that inform the formulation of
participation policy and regulations.
These principles are:
• access to information,
• access to participation and
• access to justice.
International Framework for Public Participation
Universal Declaration on Human Rights and International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights
It is widely recognized that access to information and access to participation have an ultimately expression as human
rights.
Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights and article 19 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political
Rights establish the right to information.
“Both these texts protect the rights to freedom of opinion and expression, and to seek, receive and impart
information through any media, regardless of national boundaries.”
Article 21 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights provided the basic right to participation.
International Framework for Public Participation
Agenda 21
The United Nations Conference on Environment and Development recognized that the commitment and genuine
involvement of all social groups is critical to effectively implement Agenda 21.
Furthermore, in the context of the environment, Chapter 23 of the Agenda 21 recognized “the need of individuals,
groups and organizations to participate in environmental impact assessment procedures and to know about and
participate in (pertinent) decisions”
The Vienna Declaration
The 1993 World Conference on Human Rights adopted the Vienna Declaration. It emphasized on participatory
democracy and stated that: "Democracy, development and respect for human rights and fundamental freedoms are
interdependent and mutually reinforcing. Democracy is based on the freely expressed will of the people to
determine their own political economic, social and cultural systems and their full participation in all aspects of
their lives."
International Framework for Public Participation
Basic Principles of Public Involvement
There are a number of basic principles that can be followed to help insure a successful outcome when using public
involvement techniques (Prem Kumar Dara, 2016)
1) Sufficient relevant information must be provided in a form that is easily understood by non-experts (without being
simplistic or insulting);
2) Sufficient time must be allowed to stakeholders to read, discuss and consider the information and its implications.
3) Adequate time ought to be allowed to enable stakeholders to present their views;
4) Responses should be provided to issues/problems raised or comments made by stakeholders. This enables public
confidence in the public involvement and the EIA process to be maintained; and
5) The selection of venues and the timing of events should encourage maximum attendance and a free exchange of views
by all stakeholders (including those that may feel less confident about expressing their views).
International Framework for Public Participation
How to engage public participation
A broad range of techniques can be taken to encourage public participation, including but not limited to:
1) Public meetings (these are “open” with no restriction as to who may attend);
2) Advisory panels (a group of individuals, chosen to represent stakeholder groups, which meets periodically to assess
work done/results obtained and to advise on future work);
3) Open houses (a manned facility in an accessible local location which contains an information display on the project
and the study. Members of the public can go in to obtain information and make their concerns/views known);
4) Interviews (a structured series of open-ended interviews with selected community representatives to obtain
information/concerns/views);
5) Questionnaires (a written, structured series of questions issued to a sample of local people to identify
concerns/views/opinions. No interviewing may be involved); and
6) Participatory appraisal techniques (a systematic approach to appraisal based on group inquiry and analysis and,
therefore, multiple and varied inputs. It may be assisted, but not controlled or directed, by external specialists).
International Framework for Public Participation
The need for Public Participation Process in EIA
Participation and communication should be an integral part of the EIA, allowing interests groups and the
general public to express their views in the EIA stages listed below. (Glasson et al. 2005; Fischer, 2007):
1) Determining the scope of the EIA (screening and scoping)
2) Providing specialists with knowledge about the site (scoping)
3) Evaluating the relative significance of the likely impacts (scoping)
4) Proposing mitigation measures (assessment and report)
5) Ensuring that the EIA is objective, truthful and complete (assessment and report)
6) Monitoring any conditions of the development agreement (follow-up)
EIA Report Writing:
India is home to 18% of the world’s population, but only 2.4% of the world’s land area, making it one of the most
environmentally stressed countries in the world.
ENVIRONMENTAL MANAGEMENT PLAN(EMP)
The Environment Management Plan (EMP) is required to ensure sustainable
development in the area surrounding the proposed project.
• Hence, it needs to be an all encompassive plan for which the industry,
Government, Regulating agencies; like Pollution Control Board working in the
region and the local residents of the area need to extend their co-operation
and contribution.
• It has been evaluated that the proposed project will have minor impacts on
the surrounding areas.
• Mitigation measures at the source level and an overall Management Plan at
the site level are elicited so as to preserve the surrounding environment.
• The mitigation measures are recommended in order to synchronize the economic development of the project area with
the environmental protection of the region.
• The construction phase impacts are mostly short term, restricted to the plot area and not envisaged on the larger
scale.
• In the operational phase, the environmental impacts are due to continuous operation of the project; hence, the
emphasis in the Environment Management Plan (EMP) is to minimize such impacts.
OBJECTIVE OF ENVIRONMENT MANANGEMENT PLAN
The objective of Environment Management Plan is given below:
• Mitigation measures for each of the activities causing the environmental impacts.
• Sustainable use of resources used for manufacturing activities which includes optimization of resource consumption.
• Monitoring plans for checking activities and environmental parameters and monitoring responsibilities
• Role responsibilities and resource allocation for monitoring.
• To treat all the pollutants, i.e. effluent, air emission, noise pollution & hazardous waste, that contributes to the
degradation of environment, with appropriate technology.
• To comply with all the regulations stipulated by central/state pollution control boards related to air emission control
and liquid effluents discharge as per Air & water pollution control laws.
• To handle and management hazardous waste storage and disposal
• To encourage, support and conduct development work for achieving environment standards and to improve methods
of environment management.
• To promote further forestation in the surrounding areas of the plant.
• To create good environment (devoid of air & noise pollution) for employees.
• To reduce fire and accidental hazards.
• Perspective budgeting and allocation of funds for environment management expenditure.
• Continuous development and search for innovative technologies for better environment.
• To adopt cleaner production technology.
Thus, it should be integrated in the organizational business policy and procedure.
PPE – Personal
Protective
Equipment