What is an ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT ASSESSMENT REPORT

[RAGHAVA]

 I might have made around 250 & odd EIA in various sectors Maximum in Mining Sector, followed by Power plants including coal based, natural gas based, hydro power, integrated steel plants, irrigation, underground mining including gold & coal, coal washery, beneficiation & pelletisation plants, pig iron plants, cement plants etc. and 3 Carrying Capacity based Regional EMP (one ongoing). 

 

Some of them are independent and some are integrated studies.

 

 

After making so many reports and reading atleast more than 500 EIA report made by other consultants. Now i started developing a greate doubt may be it looks absurd but what is an actual EIA.

 

(regarding my reports i am definetely proud of the two carrying capacity study reports because a lot of research was done to prepare them and really worked hard both as team leader and team member working day and night to prepare them)

 

IS there any EIA report which is a master piece. Please somebody help me in this because now i am getting confused a lot to make an EIA report. getting so many doubts and what not?????????????

[Madhvendra Shukla]

Mr Raghavcharyulu,

                            You may contact Prof M K Pandit, Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Mountain  and Hill Environment (CISMHE), University of Delhi. He is MoEF approved EIA expert in India and has been doing it since 20 years. He was instrumental in carrying EIA for Parbhati Hydro-power plant in Himachal Pradesh. I am lucky to be his student. I have learnt alot from his experiences and frankly writing whatever i know about EIA is only because of his guidance. He is one of the finest EIA expert, i can proudly proclaim.

He may be contacted at [e-mail].  

 

Best Wishes

Madhvendra Shukla

[Krishna Viswanathan]

Dear MVR,

 

Please peruse regulations of EU, US, ADB, and WB for some guidance on the philosophy behind EIA's. It may also be instructive to look at how the regulations are placed in the context of development and which Ministry is in charge of implementing such regulations. These differ based on country and context, so the "Masterpiece" is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Good luck but let us all know if you find the answer ;-)

 

Krishna

[Rahul R Raidas]

Dear MVR,

you can contact to mr. C. V Chalpati rao at NEERI Nagpur . NEERI had done the first Indian carrying capacity studies, NEERI also done thousands of EIA in all the possible sectors . Chalpati Rao sir is the some of the most experience people in this field. hope you will find your answer .

 

Regards 

Rahul 

NEERI 

 

 

[Lalit Maurya]

Dear Mr. Ragahavacharyulu,

Just check this India Environment Portal for various EIA reports and Industrial impacts on Environment,
Or Contact Mr. Sujit in Centre for Science and Environment (CSE), New Delhi.

Portal's link is

http://www.indiaenvironmentportal.org.in/search/apachesolr_search/e...

Regards,
Lalit Maurya

Centre for Science and Environment (CSE)

[Dr. Sudhanshu Kumar]

Dear Mr Raghava,

I really admire your direct questions! I wish, sometime I should work with you!

Compared to yours, I have limited work experience on EIA but have worked for different client in different part of world. Based on my experience, I am trying to answer your question (apologies, if my statement upsets anybody/organization):

“In general, the Environmental Impact Assessment Report of a project is a ‘necessary document’ prepared by a ‘third party’ (mostly the environmental consultants) appointed and paid by the project proponent to get NOC in favour of the project from the regulatory bodies”

Further, an EIA could be good or relevant document but could not be a ‘masterpiece’ – see it’s relating to assessment of impacts on environment and how much we know about our environment? Answers today are sometime proved to be a problem tomorrow!

Please don’t worry about the content of an EIA, to satisfy our intellect, we should keep working on some different projects for a change – in your case its carrying capacity studies.   

With best wishes

Sudhanshu

[Jeeva]

An EIA consultant/scientist/ worker if considere he/she a sincere citizen of India, doing work for his /her own country i am sure will give the best as you have worked hard to produce CC study and feel proud. When one is confident about the work done there is no need to get confused.

[Prof Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai]

Dear Mr Raghavacharyulu,

There is no need for confusion. Every EIA Report must be close to a master piece by itself. The quality of EIA Report depends on the guidelines provided by the authority, design of the project, understanding of sectoral experts about the project and the environmental compartments, design of baseline monitoring, quality of baseline data, identification of short term ans long term impacts, design of EMP etc. All the activities relevant to the EIA reports are done by human beings. The quality of the human beings and resources at hand will finally influence the EIA reports and EMP as implemented. With quality of humans knowldge, skills and ehics are important.

Finally the decision makes read the reports and pass orders. All these human elements can be influenced by project proponents.

So finally the confusion leads to the revelation that quality of humans in the country will decide the quality of EIA reports and the impact of EIA reports on environment.

[Jeeva]

Yes as Dr.V.N Sivasankar Pillai siad the quality stands.

Jeeva

[Subhajit Pal]

Dear Mr. MVR,

Why you are looking for masterpeice EIA reports? Prepare yourself, I am assuring you that it will be new masterpeice EIA. Moreover you can take reference from Austrailian EIA reports. Consultants like SRK, HMR, etc used to prepare good EIA reports. Carrying capacity used to done to know the asssimilative and cumulative effects on an environement due to the proposed activity.

 

Indian EIA reports like Chiria mines and rowghat mines are one of the best EIA reports ever which are prepared by NEERI. For more information contact Dr. S. R. Wate and Dr. P. R. Chaudhari.

 

Regards,

Subhajit Pal

[Jeeva]

Yes Dr Subhajit Pal ji , i have insisited the same in my previous reply, if one is confident that what is  done is good and justified then it is good report.

Dr.Jeeva

[RAGHAVA]

This is a great response. But can say that the underlying statement behind the discussion was understood by great people to name a few like shri Krishnan Vishwanathan, Dr Sudhanshu & Dr Pillai etc and many references about esteemed Environmental Professionals.

 

Now i wish to bring a dimension to this discussion. The hardest reality is many of the reports are made quantitative and not qualitative. one thing i always remember which our sir used to tell is make the report crisp and don't put irrelevant matter. but many times i see most of the things are irrelevant but always become a part of because its a need and not relevance.............. 

[GOPI KANTA GHOSH]

Thanks for information...people must know...

Madhvendra Shukla said:

Mr Raghavcharyulu,

                            You may contact Prof M K Pandit, Director, Centre for Interdisciplinary Studies of Mountain  and Hill Environment (CISMHE), University of Delhi. He is MoEF approved EIA expert in India and has been doing it since 20 years. He was instrumental in carrying EIA for Parbhati Hydro-power plant in Himachal Pradesh. I am lucky to be his student. I have learnt alot from his experiences and frankly writing whatever i know about EIA is only because of his guidance. He is one of the finest EIA expert, i can proudly proclaim.

He may be contacted at [e-mail].  

 

Best Wishes

Madhvendra Shukla