Environmental

Approvals Procedure
for a
Industrial Project
Deepak Kumar Jha
EM Participant
December 22 24, 2010

IISc Banglare - LAKE 2010

Development of Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA)
Process in India
n

The environmental movement in India got a boost from

the Stockholm Conference on Human Environment held
in June 1972

In 1982
1982,, Government of India (Ministry of Environment
and Forest) introduced the need of an Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) / Environmental Management
Plan (EMP) for public sector projects

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Development of Environmental
Impact Assessment (EIA) Process
in India (contd..)
n

In 1994, EIA Notification under the Environmental Pollution Act 1986

was introduced

NOC (No Objection Certificate) from State Authority

Environmental Clearance from Ministry of Environment & Forests
REIA (Rapid Environmental Impact Assessment)
RRA (Rapid Risk Analysis)
CEIA (Comprehensive Environmental Impact Assessment)

Public Hearing was introduced in 1997

In 2006, the EIA Notification

Notification--1994 has been replaced by a more
comprehensive EIA Notification covering a larger variety of projects
and activities i.e. EIA Notification Sep 14, 2006.
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EIA Notification
Notification-- 2006
n

As per EIA notification Sep 14, 2006, a schedule is

provided for list of Projects or Activities requiring prior
Environmental Clearance

All new projects listed in the schedule including

expansion, modernization of the existing projects or
activities and change in product mix shall require prior
Environmental Clearance

Only land can be secured before the Environmental

Clearance, no construction work can be done before
that.
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EIA Notification
Notification-- 2006
Categorization of Projects and Activities
n

Categorization of the Projects or Activities is done

based on the spatial extent of the potential impacts on
human health, natural and manmade resources
Category A Projects
Category B Projects

Category A Projects : Requires prior Environment Clearance

from Central Government in the Ministry of Environment and
Forest (MoEF)

Category B Projects : Requires prior Environmental Clearance

from State Environmental Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA)
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Schedule
(List of few Projects or Activities requiring Prior
Environment Clearance)
Project or Activity

Category with threshold limit

Category A

Category B

Offshore and onshore oil and gas exploration,

development & production

All projects

River Valley Projects

>= 50 MW
hydroelectric power
generation

< 50 MW >= 25 MW
hydroelectric power

Thermal Power Plants

>= 500 MW
(Coal/lignite/naphtha &
gas based)

< 500 MW
(Coal/lignite/naphtha
& gas based)

Nuclear power Projects

All Projects

Petroleum refinery industries

All Projects

Petrochemical Complexes

All Projects

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Application for
Prior Environmental Clearance (EC)
n

Application to be submitted in prescribed

Form 1 format

Supporting document for Form 1: Pre

feasibility report.

Form 1 to be submitted:
After identification of the prospective site for the
project
Before commencing any construction activity
Before preparation of land at the site

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Form 1
(Application for the Project
Consideration)
Contents:
n Size of the Project (Capacity)
n Expected cost of the Project
n Activities involved in the Project
n
n
n

n
n
n
n
n

Demolition work
Dredging
New road, rail or sea traffic during construction or operation

Use of natural resources

Production of solid waste
Release of pollutants, toxic or noxious substances to air
Effluent generation
Generation of noise and vibration
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Stages in the Prior Environmental

Clearance (EC) Process
n

Stage (1) Screening (Only for Category B

projects and activities)

Stage (2) Scoping

Stage (3) Public Consultation

Stage (4) Appraisal

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Stage (1) Screening

n

Scrutiny of the application (Form 1) seeking

prior Environmental Clearance

Only for Category B Projects or Activities

B1 Sub Category Environmental Impact

Assessment (EIA) report required

B2 Sub Category Environmental Impact

Assessment (EIA) report not required

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10

Stage (2) Scoping

n

Process to determine detailed and comprehensive

Terms of Reference (TOR) addressing all relevant
Environmental Concerns for preparation of EIA
report

Generic Structure of EIA report

Basis for determining Terms of Reference (TOR):

Form 1

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Generic Structure of EIA report

n

Introduction

Project Description

Identification of the project

Nature, Size and Location of the project
Scope of the study i.e. TOR
Type of project
Need of the project
Location Map
Technology and process description

Description of Environment (Study area Baseline Data)

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Air Environment
Water Environment
Noise Environment
Land Environment
SocioSocio-economic Environment
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Generic Structure of EIA report

n

Anticipated Environmental Impacts & Mitigation Measures

Pre - project scenario
Post project scenario

Environmental Management Plan

Additional Studies
Risk Analysis

Project Benefits

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13

Stage (3) Public Consultation

n

Process to ascertain the concerns of local affected people and others

who have plausible stake in the environmental impact

All category A and category B1 projects or activities shall undertake

Public Consultation with exemption of followings:
Modernization of irrigation projects
Expansion of road or highways projects
All projects concerning national defence and security etc.

Public Consultation may be exempted by Expert Appraisal Committee

(EAC) if project is not affecting the local people
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Stage (4) Appraisal

n

Appraisal means detailed scrutiny of EIA report by Expert

Appraisal Committee (EAC) of MoEF or State Level Expert
Appraisal Committee (SEAC) of state level

Outcome of public consultation including public hearing to be

submitted.

In appraisal proceedings, applicant or authorized representative

is invited for necessary clarification

At this stage, recommendations are made to regulatory authority

by EAC either for grant of prior Environmental Clearance (EC)
with stipulated terms of conditions or rejection with reasons for
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the same

Post Environmental Clearance

Monitoring
n

Submission of half yearly compliance

reports in respect of stipulated prior
environmental clearance terms and conditions
to regulatory authority

All such compliance reports submitted by the

project management shall be public document
to be displayed on the website or concerned
regulatory authority

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Time schedule
Environmental Clearance Process
Form I submission to MoEF along with draft TOR

Screening for categorization

Within 60 days

Additional TOR after scoping if necessary

Within 3- 6 months for EIA study

Preparation of EIA/EMP
Public Hearing conducted by SPCB
Review by Expert Appraisal Committee
Final Decision of Competent Authority

Within 45 days

Within 60 days of the receipt of

final EIA report
Within 15 days after EAC
recommendations

Environmental Clearance granted

Total approximate time: 1 year to obtain Environmental Clearance from MoEF.

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Environmental Clearance
Procedure Flow Diagram
Submission of application
to MoEF (Form 1)

Verification of Documents & meeting

for Draft TOR approval

Draft TOR is
ok & complete

Additional TOR will be

prescribed by MoEF

NO

YES
Draft EIA report preparation

Conduct Public Hearing

NO

Public hearing
exemption?
YES

Proceedings & Recommendations

inclusion in EIA report

Submission of EIA & other

information to MoEF
Project Appraisal in
EAC meeting

NO
Project is Ok and
min pollution load
NO

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2010 Rejection

YES

Information
furnshed is
complete
YES

EC granted

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References:

n
n

MoEF website: www.envfor.nic.in

Environmental Management by Dr. Vijay Kulkarni & Dr. T. V.
Ramachandra

January 4, 2011

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