4

ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT

[Expert Committee(s) and status of appraisal of development projects, Studies and research projects for facilitating formulation of policies and for evolving guidelines, amendments to EIA and CRZ Notifications, Declaration of eco-sensitive areas, Carrying Capacity based Regional Development Planning]


Index


Introduction

Most of the developmental activities use natural resources as raw material and waste generated is disposed into different environmental media. The signs of stress on the scarce natural resources are evident from the deteriorating air quality, soil degradation, polluted rivers and streams and in general status of environment in various regions. It is now well recognized that, for sustainable development and optimal use of natural resources, environmental considerations are required to be integrated in planning, designing and implementation of development projects. The envisaged benefits from development projects cannot be fully realized unless they are environmentally and socially sound and sustainable.

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is one of the proven management tools for incorporating environmental concerns in development process and also in improved decisionmaking. The growing awareness, over the years, on environmental protection and sustainable development has further given the needed emphasis on requirement of sound environmental management practices through preparation of Environmental Management Plans for minimizing the impacts from developmental activities. The program of EIA, in vogue in the Ministry for the last two decades was initiated with the appraisal of Water Resources Schemes and River Valley Projects. The scope of appraisal was subsequently enlarged to cover other sectors like industrial projects, thermal power plants, mining schemes and infrastructure projects. To give legislative status to the procedure of impact assessment, EIA was made mandatory since January, 1994 for 29 categories of development activities. Recently, one more item, namely, Meta Amino Phenol has been added to the list.

Keeping in view developments in the field of environmental impact analysis and State of the Art Technology available for prediction and analysis, the Questionnaires for EIA were updated and published for various sectors. Further, for facilitating preparation of quality EIA reports, a Manual on EIA has been prepared which is also useful to apprising agencies and decision makers, both at Centre and State levels. Ministry has initiated a number of activities to streamline the appraisal process in terms of simplification of procedures, involvement of stakeholders through public hearing, regular meetings of Expert Committees etc. This has resulted in expeditious decision on development projects. Significant amendments have been made in the EIA and Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notifications based on consultations with all the stake holders.

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Expert Committee(s) and status of appraisal of development projects

Under the provisions of EIA Notification of January, 1994, various Expert Committees have been constituted for different sectors for appraisal of projects received for environmental clearance. These Committees were re-constituted in August, 2000. Table-6 and Table-7 reveal sector wise details of appraisal of projects.

Table-6

Committee meetings

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Sl.No.	Expert Committee		Number of Meetings	 Total number of
								Projects Considered
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1.	Industry				8			53

2.	Thermal power				6			24

3.	River Valley and Hydro Electric 	8			28

4.	Mining 					5			23

5.	Infrastructure and Miscellaneous 	6			11
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Table-7

Status of development projects from January - December, 2001

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Sl. No	Nature of 		Projects pending	Projects received 	Projects cleared 	Projects closed/	Projects pending
	the project		at the beginning 	during the year		during the year		rejected/exempted	at the end of 
				of the year								during the year		the year
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1	Industrial			26			90			63			15			38

2	Thermal Power			06			17			14			01			08

3	River Valley and 
	Hydroelectric Projects		04			18			12			04			06

4	Mining				09			47			09			08			39

5	Infrastructure & 
	Miscellaneous projects		15			68			23			29			31
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	Total				60			240			121			57			122
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Studies and Research Projects

For facilitating formulation of policies and for evolving guidelines in various development sectors, studies are undertaken in specific areas. During the year, the following major studies sponsored by the Ministry made satisfactory progress.

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Sustainable Development Plan for Environmental Protection of Kutch District, Gujarat

The study on sustainable development plan for environmental protection of Kutch district in Gujarat was entrusted to the National Council for Cement and Building Material (NCB), Ballabhgarh by the Ministry to establish baseline and ecological status of Kutch region where various developmental activities are planned due to availability of natural resources. The study is in final stages of completion .

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Identification and Mapping of Ecologically Important Areas of Indian Coasts

A study was entrusted to Institute for Ocean Management (IOM), Anna University, Chennai to identify, map and digitize ecologically important areas in coastal stretches of the country. The IOM has completed identification and mapping of ecologically important areas for the States of Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. The work in other coastal States is in progress. IOM was also assigned the responsibility of digitization of the approved coastal Zone Management Plan Maps (CZMP) of Tamil Nadu which has been completed. Ministry is in the process of assigning the work of digitization of CZMP of other coastal states also.

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Image of Status of degradation in Siwaliks

Fig 46. Status of degradation in Siwaliks

Carrying Capacity Study of Teesta Basin in Sikkim

At the instance of the Ministry, a study on Carrying Capacity of Teesta Basin in Sikkim has been initiated with financial assistance by National Hydro Electric Power Corporation (NHPC) and is being undertaken by the Centre for Inter-disciplinary Study of Mountain and Hill Environment (CISMHE), Delhi University. The study would help in formulating guidelines for overall development of Teesta Basin. The scope of the study, inter-alia, includes.

Assessment of supportive and assimilative capacities.

Optimization of resource allocation strategy.

Evaluation of state development plan as well as business as usual scenario.

Preparation of short and long term action plans to be implemented by concerned agencies through technological and policy planning interventions.

Development of alternate scenarios including prioritization of preferred scenarios.

Besides University of Delhi, the other participating agencies in the study are IIT, Delhi; WAPCOS, New Delhi; SACON, Coimbatore; Department of Applied Geology, North Bengal University and Government College, Sikkim.

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Amendments to EIA and CRZ Notifications

For rationalizing the appraisal procedure and to facilitate expeditious decisions on development projects, amendments have been made in the EIA Notification of January, 1994 and the Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of February, 1991 from time to time. A major amendment to EIA Notification was made in April, 1997 for introduction of Public Hearing (PH) as a part of assessment procedure for ensuring participation of local people and stakeholders in various proposed development activities. The Ministry further amended the Notification in December, 2000 for exempting defence related road construction projects in border areas from the purview of EIA Notification.

Keeping in view the size of the projects and their environmental impacts, Ministry has further amended the Notification in August, 2001 to dispense with the requirement of public hearing for following categories of projects.

Small Scale Industrial Undertakings located in (a) Notified/designated industrial areas/industrial estates or (b) areas earmarked for industries under jurisdiction of Industrial Development Authorities.

Widening and strengthening of highways.

Mining projects (Major Minerals) with lease area upto 25 ha.

Units located in Export Processing Zones, Special Economic Zones, and

Modernization of existing irrigation canals.

Image of A Coastal Ecosystem (habitat), Gulf of mannar, T.N.

Fig 47. A Coastal Ecosystem (habitat), Gulf of mannar, T.N.

For time bound processing of proposals for public hearing submitted to various State Pollution Control Boards, the EIA Notification was amended in November, 2001 and a time limit of 60 days has been laid down for completion of public hearing. Further, production of bulk drugs based on genetically engineered organisms has been exempted from the purview of EIA Notification since this activity attracts the provisions of Hazardous and/or Genetically Modified Micro Organisms Rules, 1989.

Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification has also been amended in April, 2001 permitting certain activities in CRZ-I areas such as (a) construction activities related to the projects of Department of Atomic Energy (b) laying of pipelines, conveying systems including transmission lines and (c) facilities that are essential for activities permissible under CRZ-I. Under this amended notification, exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas is also permitted between Low Tide Line (LTL) and High Tide Line (HTL) in areas, which are not ecologically sensitive. Facilities for receipt and storage of Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) and facilities for its re-gasification can also be permitted in CRZ areas not classified as CRZ-I(i) subject to implementation of certain safety regulations.

Image of Land degradation due to open pit mining

Fig 48. Land degradation due to open pit mining

Committees and Authorities

Ministry has constituted in November, 1998 the State/Union Territory Coastal Zone Management Authority for nine coastal states and four Union Territories. The term of the Authorities was initially extended by six months in March, 2001 and subsequently the Authorities have been reconstituted for another three years. The main function of these authorities is to ensure proper implementation of the provisions of Coastal Regulation Zone Notification of February, 1991 and its subsequent amendments.

Similarly, a Notification was issued on 8th January, 2001 reconstituting the National Coastal Zone Management Authority for a period of two years. This Authority inter-alia deals with all the environmental issues relating to CRZ Notification referred to by the Central Government, to provide technical assistance and guidance to the State Coastal Zone Management Authorities and also review cases involving violation of the provisions of the CRZ Notification.

Monitoring

During the year, the Ministry continued its programme of monitoring of the implementation of environmental mitigation measures stipulated while according environmental clearance to various development projects. About 600 projects have been monitored in the year 2001 through six Regional Offices of the Ministry and wherever compliance was not satisfactory, action has been taken including issuing of show-cause notices followed by directions. The major problem areas noticed in non-compliance inter-alia include catchment area treatment, reclamation of mined area and management of over burden, fly ash utilization, online monitoring of emissions etc.

Declaration of Eco-sensitive Areas

A Notification was issued in January, 2001 notifying Mahabaleshwar-Panchghani region of Maharashtra as eco-sensitive area for regulating industry, operation, developmental activities etc. which have detrimental effect on the environment. The Notification provides for preparation of a Master plan, Tourism Plan and setting up of a Monitoring Committee.

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Environmental Management Capacity Building (EMCB) Project

With a view to improving the environmental appraisal process and to incorporate compliance of the already approved projects in decision making, Ministry has undertaken capacity building programme in the areas of environmental clearance of projects, development of manuals and guides for preparation of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)/Environmental Management Plan (EMP) related matters under the World Bank assisted EMCB projects. (The details of its activities are given in Chapter 10).

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Carrying Capacity based Regional Development Planning

To demonstrate the utility of Carrying Capacity based development planning process, studies have been taken up in a few selected areas considered to be representative of similar problematic areas in the country. Carrying Capacity Studies have been completed on ecologically fragile Doon Valley, environmentally critical National Capital Region, industrially sensitive Tapi Estuary. Carrying Capacity Report on industrialized and Resource rich Damodar River Basin has also been completed and it is proposed to hold consultations with the concerned State Governments Agencies and citizen groups to initiate follow up actions on the recommendations.

The Carrying Capacity study on Greater Kochi Region is also completed and the final Report is being prepared.

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