Manipulative EIA reports and measures

[KANNA KUMAR SIRIPURAPU]

Dear All,

After going through some EIA reports prepared by the consultants which were submitted to the MoEF for the approval of the project, I found that they are highly manipulative and do not have any correlation with the ground realities!

One could go through the examples of POSCO, Vedanta, etc to name a few. These EIA reports are highly manipulative. I was wondering how good it would be if these experts could use their ingenuity in suggesting solutions or possible alternatives to the project rather than using their branis to by-pass and burry the facts.

Is this the time to initiate action against such consultants if the EIA reports submitted by them were found to be manipulative? Is there any progress in this way?

Kanna

[GOPI KANTA GHOSH]

Manipulation is our way of life...we must continue to fight for right cause

[Richa Singh]

hey Dear welcome to the world of corruption.

I did my internship under MoEF where I got t know about all the ground realisies and the facts were very gloomy....
Even if you will try hard, these big company will invite big retired chaps of MoEF to do their EIA and will then win the clearance.....

[Anil Kumar Saxena]

Dear Mr. Kanna,

I agree with you that the EIA reports are normally manipulated as per the requirement of the project and it will continue till a drastic procedural changes are being effected. In order to get realistic EIA, we may adopt the procedure followed in other developed countries where the EIA is being carried out by the Ministry themselves through empanelled authorized consultants. Till the project proponents are engaging consultants, we may not get right kind of EIA reports.

Further, we should also look into the EIA procedure itself where we are conducting EIA for one season and that too for the predetermined site without any choice. Though, the EA Committee has right to direct project proponent to conduct comprehensive EIA depending upon the project and situation.

Dr. A. K. Saxena
Vice President
Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd.

[Vinodh Valluri]

This is exactly the reason why environmental professionals [including me] are often turned away from working in India, and have to go find jobs elsewhere! Just imagine what could be achieved if people use their intelligence in doing something useful for society, than finding contorted ways to shoot the breeze around regulations! I'm sick of corrupt ignoramuses like them, and wonder if I will ever be able to work in India if situations continue to be so discouraging.. hopefully, things will get better while Minister Ramesh works for us..

[Radhika]

Dear Mr. Kanna Kumar,

If you look at all EIA reports submitted to MOEF out of that 90% are manipulative. We have to stop all this actually, but in India there is lot of corruption is going on. If you are working for any consultant you have to do all these things and if you are not ready for this other person/expert will come and you will loose your job, nothing else. But the environmental consultant should take initiative to atleast minimise this. Hope for the best.


Regards,
Radhika Mungi-Buwa.

[Ajay Ranjith V]

Along with the procedure of carrying EIA by empaneled consultants of MoEF, there can be a procedural change in the way EIA is carried out by many consultants. The EIA should be carried out in a text book procedure, where EIA is a team work consisting of experts in all the major fields involved in EIA and also make it a contributive process where the client is gaining improvements in the project by the procedure of EIA, rather then just a procedure for getting clearance from MoEF. The state of affairs as it is now should change where a person with no experience/idea of the relative industry prepares reports with famed CCP procedure.(Cut Copy Paste procedure).

[Anil Kumar Gupta]

Dear Dr Saksena,

I agree to your viewpoints that we need a total overhaul in the EIA business in India. No EIA experts wants to produce a manupulated report but due to the procedures and wants of the project proponents that the site already identified with no alternatives, EIA as an add on process and more emphasis on liason to guarantee project approval from the authorities, are the issues that made the EIA system currupt. In fact the currupt system of authorities made business and EIA consultants to adopt the currupt notions.

We need more such discussions and loud voices on this so that it gets noticed by the top policy makers and even media.

Best

Anil K Gupta



Anil Kumar Saxena said:

Dear Mr. Kanna,

I agree with you that the EIA reports are normally manipulated as per the requirement of the project and it will continue till a drastic procedural changes are being effected. In order to get realistic EIA, we may adopt the procedure followed in other developed countries where the EIA is being carried out by the Ministry themselves through empanelled authorized consultants. Till the project proponents are engaging consultants, we may not get right kind of EIA reports.

Further, we should also look into the EIA procedure itself where we are conducting EIA for one season and that too for the predetermined site without any choice. Though, the EA Committee has right to direct project proponent to conduct comprehensive EIA depending upon the project and situation.

Dr. A. K. Saxena
Vice President
Ramky Enviro Engineers Ltd.

[KANNA KUMAR SIRIPURAPU]

Dear All,

Thank you so much for responding and sharing your valuable views, suggestions, opinions. It may be too ambitious on my part to think that this discussion would not smother here but would continue further to contribute towards improvement of EIA process and save our environment and our lives dependent on it!

Thank you
Kanna

[Prof Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai]

Dear Mr Kanna, Dr Saxena and others,

EIA Procedure in our country is in an evolution stage. The EIA report can be made more reliable if the following procedures are insisted:
1. The agencies, and consultants must be accredited, no doubt.
2. EIA procedure must be notified: Who does, for what, where, when etc.
3. There must be an agency (an authority) to oversee the process, and should receive data and QA information by e-mail with in 24 hours of carrying out the components of analysis like chain-of-custody, calibration report, blank data for QA and analytical data.
4. Every analytical report should be separately backed up with EIA report.
5. The experts on the EAC must file individual checklist of satisfaction for the field of his/her expertise. The experts on EAC must be suitably compensated for the time they spend on the work.
6. Every document (reports, comments and submissions) must be displayed on the website of EIA Authority.
I hope this will give opportunity to all stakeholders to ensure quality (fit-for-use) of EIA Reports.

Regards
Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai
PS

Criminal prosecution should be instituted against professional frauds.

[Anil Kumar Saxena]

Dear All,

1. India is a fast developing nation in terms of Industrialization. Even if we say that EIA procedure is evolving then we shall look into our system that how long it will take to evolve.
2. In order to streamline EIA procedure MoEF has laid down certain procedures and guidelines for preparing EIA reports. Also, the consultants & organizations have been recognized and empanelled by QCI.
3. Even EAC gives EC to the project proponents with certain conditions to be followed while implementing the project and the Regulatory Agencies are suppose to monitor and take staock of the implementation.

The question is that how many regulatory agencies monitor and review the conditions laid down in EC. There is a need to create a Green Brigade to act as a watch dog on the implementation of the EC conditions.

Dr. A. K. Saxena



Prof Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai said:

Dear Mr Kanna, Dr Saxena and others,

EIA Procedure in our country is in an evolution stage. The EIA report can be made more reliable if the following procedures are insisted:
1. The agencies, and consultants must be accredited, no doubt.
2. EIA procedure must be notified: Who does, for what, where, when etc.
3. There must be an agency (an authority) to oversee the process, and should receive data and QA information by e-mail with in 24 hours of carrying out the components of analysis like chain-of-custody, calibration report, blank data for QA and analytical data.
4. Every analytical report should be separately backed up with EIA report.
5. The experts on the EAC must file individual checklist of satisfaction for the field of his/her expertise. The experts on EAC must be suitably compensated for the time they spend on the work.
6. Every document (reports, comments and submissions) must be displayed on the website of EIA Authority.
I hope this will give opportunity to all stakeholders to ensure quality (fit-for-use) of EIA Reports.

Regards
Dr V N Sivasankara Pillai
PS

Criminal prosecution should be instituted against professional frauds.

[Anil Kumar Gupta]

True.

But what about the EIA of small projects and the units coming in the industrial estates in small districts, where even people are not at all aware. These types of units are in thousands, small-medium but in great numbers. In many such cases district administration, Pollution Board regional centres and state level is quite enough to manage the affairs and the job is simply done.


Dr. K.S.M.Rao said:

While conceding that EIA reports have been manipulative hitherto, with the rejection of reports of power plant for Nagarjuna, rejection of report of Vedanta at Langigarh and raising doubts about the POSCO reports, it is but clear that manupulated reports do not stand the test of time.

It has been a belief that once a report is submitted, and an environmental clearance the job of the report is over, no longer so. EIA reports are now to be considered as long term asset (if good) and long term liability if it has been manipulated by consultants/ proponent.

if this fact is realised, I am sure good quality reports will emerge since no one would want to hold a report which has the potential to be reopened and questioned in the long run. This could have implications on the business of the consultant as well as on the reputation of the developers.

[Chitra Rajesh]

This is bound to happen as most of the EIAs are done by the project proponent. We may expect some change if the consultants are made responsible for the reports, like penalising them if the contents are faulty.
2. EIA is considered generally as only a procedural requirement, Everything else is finalised and this is taken up. Once if clearance is obtained, it is a closed chapter. It will be again looked into may be next when they need any permission renewal, or expansion etc. Continuous monitoring to compliance might create awareness, and help EIA in the project formulation stage itself. Also linking environmental compliance to other basic requirements of the unit might help.