Context: To address unprecedented situation arising from global outbreak of Novel Corona Virus (COVID-19), and to ramp up availability or production of various drugs, Ministry of Environment,Forest and Climate Change has made an amendment to Environmental Impact Assessment Notification 2006.
Key Amendment to the Act

• All projects or activities in respect of bulk drugs and intermediates, manufactured for addressing various ailments, have been re-categorized from the existing Category ‘A’ to ‘B2’ category.
• Projects falling under Category B2 are exempted from requirement of collection of Base line data, EIA Studies and public consultation.
• The re-categorization of such proposals has been done to facilitate decentralization of appraisal to State Level so as to fast track the process.

About Environmental Impact Assessment

• Environmental assessment (EA) is the assessment of the environmental consequences (positive negative) of a plan, policy, program, or actual projects prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action.
• It is a tool of environmental management forming a part of project approval and decision-making.
• Environmental assessments may be governed by rules of administrative procedure regarding public participation and documentation of decision making, and may be subject to judicial review.

Stakeholders in the EIA Process includes:Those who propose the project

• The environmental consultant who prepare EIA on behalf of project proponent
• Pollution Control Board (State or National)
• Public has the right to express their opinion
• The Impact Assessment Agency
• Regional centre of the MoEFCC

About EIA Notification 2006

• The EIA Notification, 2006, broadly divides all projects into two categories—Category A and Category B—based on potential impacts over an area and on human health and natural and man-made resources.
• According to the notification, all Category A projects (with potentially significant impacts) are required to carry out an EIA and undertake a public hearing before an EC may be granted by the Union environment ministry.
• Category B projects (with potentially less significant impacts) are evaluated and given a clearance by state level authorities, the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) and State Expert Appraisal Committee (SEAC).
• Moreover, projects under Category B1 also require an EIA and public consultation, but those falling under B2 are exempted from requirements of both EIA and public consultation.

The EIA process or stages is described below:

• Screening: this stage decides which projects need a full or partial assessment study.
• Scoping: this stage decides which impacts are necessary to be assessed. This is done based on legal requirements, international conventions, expert knowledge and public engagement. This stage also finds out alternate solutions that avoid or at least reduce the adverse impacts of the project. Alternate designs or sites that avoid or mitigate impact are investigated.
• Assessment & evaluation of impacts and development of alternatives: this stage predicts and identifies the environmental impacts of the proposed project and also elaborates on the alternatives.
• Public hearing: On completion of the EIA report, public and environmental groups living close to project site may be informed and consulted.
• EIA Report: in this reporting stage, an environmental management plan (EMP) and also a non-technical summary of the project’s impact is prepared for the general public. This report is also called the Environmental Impact Statement (EIS).
• Decision making: the decision on whether the project is to be given approval or not and if it is to be given, under what conditions.
• Monitoring, compliance, enforcement and environmental auditing: monitoring whether the predicted impacts and the mitigation efforts happen as per the EMP.

Importance of Environmental Impact Assessment

• EIA is a good tool for prudent environment management.
• It is government-policy that any industrial project in India has to secure EIA clearance from the Environment Ministry before approval for the project itself.