What is EIA?
The process of identifying, predicting, evaluating and mitigating the biophysical, social, and other relevant effects of development proposals to the environment and human beings.
The purpose of the assessment is to ensure that decision-makers consider environmental impacts before deciding whether to proceed with new projects. Environmental impact assessment (EIA) is a tool that seeks to ensure sustainable development through the evaluation of those impacts arising from a major activity (policy, plan, program, or project) that are likely to have significant environmental effects. It is anticipatory, participatory, and systematic in nature and relies on multidisciplinary input
Aims of EIA
•Predict environmental impact of projects;
•Find ways and means to reduce adverse impacts;
•Shape the projects to suit local environment;
•Present the predictions and options to the decision-makers.
EIA in INDIA
•In India Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) has been formally introduced and was made mandatory in 1994 under the environmental protection Act of 1986.The notification specifies 30 categories of projects with potential to degrade environment, including polluting industries.
•On 10 April 1997 the amendment in the EIA notification was made by introducing Environmental Public Hearing (EPH) in Environmental Clearance process. Before issuing NOC the State Pollution Control Board has to organize public hearing for the proposed project.
The EPH Committee hears the objection/suggestion regarding the project from public and hand over them to Ministry of Forest & Environment. Certain clauses are added to the EC of the project based on the objection/suggestion discussed in public hearing. It is an ideal system of public participation in environmental clearance process.
Environment Impact Assessment Notification Under MoEF
The Environment Impact Assessment Notification was issued in 1997 to put in place a mechanism by which certain kinds of development and industrial processes/activities would need environmental clearance from the MoEF. These projects listed in Schedule 1 of the Notification included mining, river valley projects, ports, harbours and airports, exploration of oil/gas, distilleries, urban construction, and so on. The Notification also makes it mandatory for a process of public hearing that would bring the project proposer and the affected people face to face, and allow for objections to be raised and clarifications sought.
List of Projects
•The entire list of projects in the schedule is required to go through the environmental clearance process . The draft categorizes these projects into A, B and A/B.
• Projects in Category A would require a clearance from the Centre, those in B from the State governments and that in A/B will be recategorized A or B based on a screening process by an Expert Appraisal Committee constituted by the Centre.
Limitations of EIA in India
1.Poor governance.
2.Undue delays.
3.Rapid economic reforms.
4.Lack of awareness (public hearing).
5.Favors to small-scale units.
6.Poor quality EIA reports.
Environmental management system (EMS)
ISO 9000
International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is a world wide federation of national standards bodies, having its headquarter at Geneva in Switzerland. The objective of ISO is to promote the development of standardization with a view to facilitating international exchange of goods and services and to develop cooperation in the sphere of intellectual, scientific, technological and economic activity.
India is the founding member of ISO and participating through BIS as active member.
What is ISO 9000
ISO 9000 is a series of 5 international standards for ‘ Quality Management and Quality Assurance Systems’ which can be adopted by all types of organisations producing goods, services or softwares.
It defines the basic disciplines and specifies the procedures and criteria to ensure that the product or service of the organisation consistently meets the customer’s requirements.
The series consists of ISO 9000, 9001, 9002, 9003, 9004.
Salient Features
- It is obligatory to identify non- conformities.
- Systematic prevention of non- conformities.
- Requires a formally documented procedure for each and every activity.
- Requires faithful implementation of procedures and their revision.
- Confines to standard formulation, implementation is left to individual nations.
Benefits of ISO 900
- Customer satisfaction.
- Recognition.
- Legal aspects.
- Confidence creation.
- Consistency in quality.
- Documented.
ISO 14000
The ISO 14000 family addresses "environmental management". This means what the organization does to:
- Minimize harmful effects on the environment caused by its activities
- To achieve continual improvement of its environmental performance.
ISO 14000 is derived from ISO quality standards 9000 but is broader in scope because environmental issues are larger issues affecting the nation’s and world’s resources and living conditions. It requires organisations to be concerned with everything from raw materials to end products. ISO 14000 enables the organisation’s EMS to :
•Formulate and define policy and objectives in this regard.
•Formulate a plan to implement the policy and objective.
•Develop support system to achieve the implementation of policy.
•Monitor and evaluate environmental performance.
•Review the EMS for continued improvement.
•ISO 14000 is a series of international standards on environmental management. It provides a framework for the development of an environmental management system and the supporting audit programme.
•The main thrust for its development came as a result of the Rio Summit on the Environment held in 1992.
EMSEnvironmental management system means that part of the overall management system, which includes the organisational structure, responsibilities, practices and resources for determining and implementing the environmental policy. It is a system that enables any organisation irrespective of its size, type & setting tomanage environmental impacts arising out of its
activities, product & services
1.Ensures compliance to regulations
2.Brings continual improvements
3.Demonstrate high environmental performance to others by conforming to policy, objectives & targets
Role Of Information Technology in Environment
Information technology is a powerful tool for meeting environmental objectives and promoting sustainable development.It is used to facilitate comunication, development, analysis and practice of environmental objectives etc. The computer age has turned the world around due to the incredible rapidity with which IT spreads knowledge.
Environmental Management and Technology.
Geographical Information Systems (GIS) :
- It is a tool to map landuse patterns by studying digitized toposheets .
- GIS can be used for design and development of Environmental projects:
- Environmental Auditing.
- Environmental Impact Assessment.
- Detailed Project Reports.
- Waste Water Treatment Systems.
- Environmental Planning and Infrastructure Master Plans.
Use of GIS for Architecture and Engineering:
•Landscape and Environmental Planning.
•Disaster Assessment & Management System.
•Human Settlements Planning & Development.
The internet with its thousands of websites has made it very simple to get the appropriate environmental information for any study or environmental management planning. It is a powerful tool to increase public awareness about environmental issues.
No comments:
Post a Comment