Setting up of an industry (or any other development project) usually involves clearing of land by felling of trees and displacement of human settlement. Most industries emit some kind of pollutant. It could be smoke or (toxic) chemicals let out into the atmosphere or water bodies. Many projects also create noise and soil pollution. Habitat destruction and threat to the local ecosystem are some of the other impacts of development projects on the environment.
It is essential to strike a balance between economic development and environment. Countries around the world have their own set of laws to regulate development projects and to minimise their impact on the environment. India’s Environment Impact Assessment is one such regulation measure.
After the Bhopal gas tragedy, India enacted the Environment (Protection) Act in 1986. Under this Act, India notified its first Environment Impact Assessment norms in 1994, setting in place a legal framework for regulating activities that utilize and affect natural resources. By these norms, every development project should obtain prior environmental clearance before being set up. The EIA 1994 was later replaced by a modified draft in 2006.
EIA covers projects such as mining of coal or other minerals, infrastructure development, thermal, nuclear and hydropower projects, real estate and other industrial projects. The projects are assessed based on their potential impact on the environment. Based on the assessments, they are granted or denied environment clearance by a panel of experts. Through a process called public consultation, people’s views are taken into consideration before approving any project or activity.
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