Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Let our Expert Team Consult you for your EIA/ EC requirements
Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)
Why is EIA NOC required?
- The purpose of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is to assess and predict any possible negative effects on the environment, economy and society that may occur during the construction and operation of projects.
- Conducting EIA studies is important for making informed and sustainable decisions while reducing negative impacts by using alternative technologies, choosing appropriate sites, and implementing effective processes.
- EIA is mandatory for infrastructural, industrial and mining projects, as per the MoEF notification on 14th September 2006.
- The process involves Screening, Scoping and Public Consultation before obtaining Environment Clearance (EC) from the Ministry of Environment & Forest (MoEF) and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee).
Process of Environment Clearance as per EIA notification 2006
- When starting a new industry or upgrading an existing project, it’s important to know about environmental clearance regulations. The Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) and the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) are responsible for granting Environmental Clearance to projects listed in the schedule of the EIA notification 2006.
- To get clearance, you need to follow the MoEF/SEIAA guidelines. It’s recommended to get help from an environmental expert. The process includes screening, scoping, and evaluating the proposed project to assess its impact on the environment. Before starting any project, you need to get environment clearance according to the EIA notification 2006. The size and location of the project are crucial factors in obtaining clearance. Always comply with regulations and get necessary clearance to ensure your project is environmentally safe.
- Before starting any project, you need to get environment clearance according to the EIA notification 2006. The size and location of the project are crucial factors in obtaining clearance. Always comply with regulations and get necessary clearance to ensure your project is environmentally safe.
Flow Chart Prior to the Environmental Clearance Process
There are two types of projects to consider for environmental impact assessments. Category ‘B1’ projects require an EIA report, while Category ‘B2’ projects do not. For Category ‘B1’ projects, a detailed EIA report must be prepared, followed by Terms of Reference by SEAC. However, for Category ‘B2’ projects, no further EIA report preparation or Environment Impact Assessment report is required. The Ministry of Environment and Forests has issued guidelines to help categorise projects.
All Category ‘A’ and ‘B’ projects require prior Environmental Clearance from SEIAA, SEAC or MOEF, according to the EIA notification 2006. However, Item 8a of the Schedule (which covers Construction, Township, Commercial Complexes, and Housing) does not require scoping. These projects are appraised on the basis of Form 1, Form 1A, and the conceptual plan. It’s important to note that the guidelines should be followed when categorising projects.
SEAC: State Expert Appraisal Committee
SEIAA: State Environment Impact Assessment Authority
SPCB: State Pollution Control Board
EIA: Environment Impact Assessment
TOR: Terms of Reference
What are the steps followed for obtaining the EIA NOC?
- Preparation of proposal: Preparation of Detailed project report based on the details and information given by the proponent and Architect.
- Assessment by Experts: Assessment of the project report by respective functional area experts in different Environmental field
- Site visit: Site visit is an important parameter of the process to assess the ambient environmental conditions, site accessibility location of the proposed project, etc.
- Baseline data collection:Pre-Monsoon
It refers to data collected from March to May and Post-Monsoon,
It refers to data collected from October to December Primary Data Collection or Secondary Database Collection of the site for Air, Water, Noise, and Soil or any other parameter which is applicable by a NABL Accredited Lab
National Accreditation Board for Testing and Calibration Laboratories which conforms the standards of ISO/IEC 17025as per the CPCB (Central; Pollution Control Board), SPCB
(State Pollution Control Board) and MoEF norms. - Final submission of the proposal: All the documents and detailed project report are submitted to the SEAC (State Expert Appraisal Committee) and SEIAA (State Environment Impact Assessment Authority)
- Presentation before SEAC and SEIAA: Case will be presented before SEAC and SEIAA
- Awarding EIA letter: After following due procedure and assessing impacts by the proposed project, mitigating measures, and other technical cum legal parameters, EC NOC is issued.
Validity of the EIA NOC Environmental Clearance
- Validity of the EC NOC for Building and Township and Area Development projects shall remain for seven years. If EC NOC letter validity has expired, the Project can be submitted to the Environment Department and any other environment regulatory authority with a DPR (detailed project report) for the extension of validity before the expiry of EIA NOC.
Post EIA Six Monthly Compliance Reports
Why do the projects require submitting the six-monthly report?
- Any project whether it belongs to Category A and Category B, irrespective of the schedule notified under the EIA Notification 2006 and further amendments by the Ministry of Environment and Forest is mandatorily required to submit the post environmental clearance report to the
Environment ministry and other respective authorities two times in June and December every year.
Purpose of the half-yearly compliance report.
- When a project is in the process of getting the Environment NOC from the Environment Ministry, the Project proponent submit the impact assessment report which contains the details of the proposed activities that would have significant and non-significant impacts on the surrounding fauna and flora, and environmental aspects like Ambient Air, Water, Geology, Hydrology, etc. along with their mitigation measures.
- On the basis of that Environment Impact Assessment report, and its conceptual report submission, the Project proponent agrees to comply with the conditions that will be stipulated in the EIA NOC. Once that EC letter is accorded, how will the environment ministry come to know that the impact mitigation measures the project proponent committed to making in the detailed project report are actually complying on the ground level during the construction and further in the operation phase.
- Therefore, a six-monthly compliance report is one of the environmental regulations that show the growth of the project while complying with the latest environmental techniques and pollution control measures.
- It means that the list of projects and the activities which are scheduled under the EIA notification 2006, have to comply with the conditions of the EIA NOC and a detailed project report is to be sent to the authority who has granted permission for the EC letter.
- Each and every project needs to advertise in the newspapers in local and regional and Hindi and English language that the project has been EIA NOC.
Post-Environment Monitoring - Environmental Laboratory Testing
- The project proponents are required to conduct onsite Primary Data Collection
Carrying out Onsite environmental monitoring and data collection for testing and
analysis of Ambient Air, Ambient Noise, Ambient Soil, Water, and any other environmental parameters that may likely be impacted during the construction and the operational phase of the project. These samples are collected, tested, and analysed according to the procedure defined by the Ministry of Environment and Forest. - The analysed results shall be submitted to the environment ministry half-yearly. If the analyzed results do not conform to the standards prescribed by the Central Pollution Control Board and State Pollution Control Board that means, the unit needs to strictly comply with the stipulated conditions and use the appropriate technology to mitigate environmental pollution levels.
contact us
Step 1
say Hello to Northern Ridge
Step 2
Let us understand your requirement
Step 3
timeline and budget planing
Step 4
Task assignment to team member
Step 5
Compliance done
