Overview of Environmental Impact Assessment Process in India

Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the formal process used to predict the environmental consequences (positive or negative) of a plan, policy, program, or project prior to the decision to move forward with the proposed action. EIA is considered the starting point in the process of implementing sustainable development agendas. In terms of benefits, it has identified EIAs as the most effective tool for integrating environmental concerns in development planning and implementation. The origin of EIA took place in 1969 in the form of a domestic law by United States through initiating National Environmental Policy Act. Over the time period of many years, now many countries including the third world countries have started following the US set example by incorporating the study of EIA into their officially authorized system.as India is concerned, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF), GoI, for the first time, issued environmental guidelines for setting up specific types of industries in August 1985.The present Study focuses on substantive processes of EIA in India.