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[Status of appraisal of development projects, sponsored research projects, CRZ Notifications 1991, Notification on ecologically sensitive areas, Amendments to EIA Notification, Committees constituted for special purpose, Carrying Capacity based Regional Planning]
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is a management tool to improve decision-making and to ensure that development options are environmentally and socially sound and sustainable. Earlier attempts at project assessment were often based on technical feasibility studies and cost benefit analysis. Since 1950, growing environmental awareness has increasingly focused attention on the interactions between development activities and their consequences. Environmental Impact Assessment has, over the years, evolved as a useful tool to integrate environmental considerations with the main stream of decision making.
The programme of Environmental Impacts Assessment was taken up by the Ministry in 1977-78 with appraisal of river valley projects and scope of appraisal was enhanced to various Sectors. For integrating environmental concerns in project development, Environmental Impact Assessment was made mandatory in January, 1994 for 29 categories of developmental activities including industrial project, thermal power plants, mining projects, river valley hydro-electric schemes and infrastructure projects.
The procedure for environment appraisal of development projects has been standardized and an updated questionnaires for collection and assessment of environment data in various development sectors has been published. To promote transparency and wider dissemination of information, Ministry has started posting details of clearances issued as well as pending development projects on the Ministry’s web site. As a result, all stakeholders including local people and various NGO groups can keep a watch on compliance of stipulated safeguard measures. Ministry has drafted an Environmental Impact Assessment manual to facilitate preparation of good quality EIA reports, to de-mystify the appraisal process and also to reflect the requirements of appraisal agencies both at the Centre and States. The Consultants involved in the preparation of EIA report would also be benefited by this manual.
In order to promote the capacity of the Impact Assessment Agency, Ministry has taken up a project on ‘Capacity Building in Environment Impact Assessment’ as a new sub component of the on-going Environment Management Capacity Building (EMCB) project under World Bank Assistance. The identified objectives of the project are
Improved Environmental Clearance Procedure
Improved quality of EIA report
Improved environmental compliance and linkage to clearance procedure.
Expert Committee(s) and Status of appraisal of development projects
Under the provisions of EIA Notification of 1994, Expert Committee (s) are constituted for appraisal of project. These Committees were reconstituted in August, 2000. The details of the meetings of the Committees, number of projects considered and the present status of pending projects in various development sectors are given in Tables-8 and 9.
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Sl.No. Expert Committee Number of Meetings Total number of Projects Considered --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- 1 Industry 10 50 2 Thermal power 6 16 3 River valley and Hydroelectric 6 12 4 Mining 5 28 5 Infrastructure and miscellaneous development 8 25 ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 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 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------ 1 Industrial 28 75 52 24 27 2 Thermal Power 12 13 15 04 06 3 River Valley and Hydroelectric Projects 04 10 05 04 05 4 Mining 11 28 17 11 11 5 Infrastructure & Miscellaneous projects 18 55 36 17 20 Total 73 181 125 60 69 ------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Sponsored Research Projects
Sustainable Development Plan for Environmental Protection of Kutchch district, Gujarat
The study on Sustainable Development Plan for Environmental Protection of Kutchch district in Gujarat was sponsored by the Ministry to the National Council for Cement and Building Materials (NCB), Ballabhagarh to establish baseline environmental and ecological status of Kutchch region, a backward and ecologically fragile zone in which various developmental activities based on its rich mineral wealth have been planned in recent years. The project is being completed and the final report is being submitted by NCB.
Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991 and related issues
The Ministry issued an amendment vide S.O 730 (E), dated 4th August, 2000 to Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) Notification, 1991 permitting receipt, storage and regasification of Liquified Natural Gas (LNG) in CRZ areas excepting those classified as CRZ-I (i). Further, exploration and extraction of oil and natural gas along with all associated activities and facilities are also permitted in the CRZ through this amendment. This amendment also enables appraisal of complex projects by Ministry in an integrated manner even when some facilities are located in CRZ.
Notifications on ecologically sensitive areas
The Ministry had issued a draft Notification on 25th July 2000 inviting objections and suggestion for declaring Mahabaleshwar – Panchgani area in Maharashtra as an eco-sensitive zone. The suggestions received were considered and the final notification was issued on 17-1-2001.
The Ministry also re-issued the draft Notification on 18th September 2000 declaring Pachmarahi in Madhya Pradesh as an eco-sensitive zone. The earlier Notification was modified taking into account contiguous ecologically sensitive areas.
Amendments to EIA notification
A major amendment to the EIA notification was made in April 1997 for introduction of public hearing as a part of assessment procedure and also for delegation of powers to the State Government(s) for environmental clearance of certain categories of Thermal Power Plants.
The Ministry added one more activity to the existing list of 29 categories by including Meta Amino Phenol as the 30th item vide notification dated 27.01.2000. The Ministry has further amended the EIA Notification on 13.12.2000 exempting defence related road construction projects in border areas from the purview of the EIA Notification.
A draft Notification exempting from public hearing small-scale industrial units, widening and strengthening of highways, modernisation of irrigation projects and mining projects (major minerals) upto 25 ha of lease area was issued on 3-1-2001.
Committee constituted for special purpose
In order to review the implementation of CRZ Notification, 1991, a study on " Status of CRZ in the Country" was assigned to the Center for Earth Science Studies (CESS), Thiruvananthapuram. The final report has been submitted by CESS in May 2000. The Ministry constituted a Steering Committee to oversee the feasibility of implementation of the findings of this study and to formulate a draft framework for the National Coastal Zone Policy. The Steering Committee has submitted its report to the Ministry in October 2000 which is under consideration.
Another Committee under the Chairmanship of Shri D.M. Sukthankar was constituted to address important aspects such as
Environmental and socio-economic issues pertaining to Slum Rehabilitation Schemes drawn up by Government of Maharashtra.
The alleged violations of CRZ Notification reported by various NGOs in Navi Mumbai.
The development in intertidal and CRZ-II area in 161 Versova, Mumbai.
The committee report has been received and is being examined.
Ministry had also constituted a Committee under the Chairmanship of Prof. Pronab Sen, Advisor, Planning Commission to examine and lay down objective and scientific parameters for identifying ecologically sensitive areas in the country and to evolve an appropriate methodology for regulating various activities in such areas. The Committee has submitted its report indicating primary and auxiliary criteria for eco-sensitivity and methodology for its assessment. Further, in order to review the existing eco sensitive areas declared by the Ministry and also to assess the proposals received for declaration of specifc areas as eco-sensitive, a Committee has been constituted under the Chairmanship of Prof. H. Mohan Ram, ex-professor, Botany Dept., Delhi University.
Hon’ble Prime Minister inaugurated the Ministry sponsored Conference of State Environment and Forest Ministers held during 16-17 May, 2000 at Vigyan Bhavan, New Delhi. This Conference was chaired by Minister of Environment and Forests and deliberations inter-alia were focused on environment and forest policies, impediments in their implementation and new initiatives required for environmental protection and sustainable development.
Carrying Capacity Based Regional Planning
All development projects utilize natural resources in one form or the other and also generate wastes. The quantum of wastes generated depends on the level of technology and management skills used. Obsolete technologies result in wastage of resources to the extent of 35-40%. It is, therefore, necessary to develop alternate strategies for sustainable development in the context of a developing country like India. Carrying capacity based regional planning takes into account not merely the availability of natural resources but also the environmental status of eco-system so that welfare of the human beings as well as the health of the Life Support System are not impaired. To demonstrate the utility of the carrying capacity based planning process, studies have been taken up in a few selected areas considered to be representative of similar problematic areas in the country. The regions selected for these studies are:
Ecologically fragile Doon Valley
Environmentally critical National Capital Region
Industrially and Environmentally sensitive Tapi Estuary
Industrialised and Resource – rich Damodar River Basin and
Coastal area with multi sectoral development of Greater Kochi Region.
Except the study on Greater Kochi Region, others have been completed. Findings of the study have been sent to the concerned agencies for initiating necessary follow-up actions.
Review Meetings were held during the year to discuss the progress on the Carrying Capacity for Greater Kochi Region. Collection of secondary data for this study is completed and based on the primary data which is being compiled, alternate development scenarios are being worked out for the future development of the region.