Draft Environment Impact Assessment 2020

Definition: EIA

• Protection of the environment.
• Optimum utilisation of resources.
• Saving of time and cost of the project.
• Lessens conflicts by promoting community participation.
• Lay base for environmentally sound projects promoting sustainable development.

• Started in 1976-77 when the Planning Commission asked the Department of Science and Technology to examine the river-valley projects from an environmental angle but was a purely administrative decision.
• The Bhopal gas tragedy led to the enactment of Environment (Protection) Act 1986.
• In 1994, the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests (MEF), under the Environmental (Protection) Act 1986, promulgated an EIA notification making Environmental Clearance (EC) mandatory for expansion or modernisation of any activity or for setting up new projects.
• In 2006, new notification for EIA legislation was made making Environment Clearance mandatory for various projects such as mining, thermal power plants, river valley, infrastructure (road, highway, ports, harbours and airports) and industries
• Draft Environment Impact Assessment report 2020 was issued for public consultation.

1. Screening: First stage of EIA, which determines whether the proposed project, requires an EIA and if it does, then the level of assessment required.
2. Scoping: This stage identifies the key issues and impacts that should be further investigated. This stage also defines the boundary and time limit of the study.
3. Impact analysis: This stage of EIA identifies and predicts the likely environmental and social impact of the proposed project and evaluates the significance.
4. Mitigation: This step in EIA recommends the actions to reduce and avoid the potential adverse environmental consequences of development activities.
5. Reporting: This stage presents the result of EIA in a form of a report to the decision-making body and other interested parties.
6. Review of EIA: It examines the adequacy and effectiveness of the EIA report and provides the information necessary for decision-making.
7. Decision-making: It decides whether the project is rejected, approved or needs further change.
8. Post monitoring: This stage comes into play once the project is commissioned. It checks to ensure that the impacts of the project do not exceed the legal standards and implementation of the mitigation measures are in the manner as described in the EIA report.

• While delay in project clearance due to requirements of EIA leads to red tape and rent-seeking, the proposal to bolster discretionary power of government with regards to project clearance is a regressive step.
• The EIA new draft 2020 allows post-facto clearance. This means that even if a project has come up without environment safeguards or without getting environment clearances, it could carry out operation under the provision of the new draft EIA 2020.
• Draft EIA reduces the space available for public participation, thereby abandoning public trust.
• Public reporting of violations may not be taken into cognisance, instead, rely on suo moto revelations by the violator.
• Expanded the list of projects under an exemption under various sections further dilute the law.