Environmental Impact Assessment in India: An Analytical Study

Abstract

Environmental Impact Assessment in India is statutorily backed by the Environment Protection Act, 1986 which contains various provisions on EIA methodology and process. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is an important management tool for ensuring optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development. It is basically, a decision-making tool to decide whether the project should be approved or not. It is an effort to anticipate measure and weigh the socio-economic and bio-physical changes that may result from a proposed project. It covers developmental sectors such as industries, thermal power projects, mining schemes etc. EIA systematically examines both beneficial and adverse consequences of the project and ensures that these effects are taken into account during project design. It helps to identify possible environmental effects of the proposed project, proposes measures to mitigate adverse effects and predicts whether there will be significant adverse environmental effects, even after the mitigation is implemented.