The Indian Himalayan Region needs its own EIA

Source: This post has been created based on the article “The Indian Himalayan Region needs its own EIA” published in The Hindu on 17^th October 2023.

UPSC Syllabus Topic: GS Paper 3 Environment — Conservation, environmental pollution and degradation, environmental impact assessment.

News: This article discusses the importance of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) with respect to the fragile Himalayan ecosystem. It also points to the various problems in its implementation and suggests reforms to solve those issues.

The recent Teesta dam breach in Sikkim and the recent floods and landslides in Himachal Pradesh have brought to attention the problems of the current development model in Himalayan ecosystems.

Despite the fragility of the Indian Himalayan Region (IHR), there is a lack of acknowledgement of the need for a special set of environmental standards and clearances for the region.

Why is EIA required?

1) It is a tool to identify the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a project before it is implemented.

2) It compares various alternatives for the proposed project, predicts and analyses all possible environmental repercussions in various scenarios.

3) EIA also helps decide appropriate mitigation strategies.

EIA is the most potent regulatory tool in the arsenal of environmental governance to further the vision of sustainable development in the country.

How did the provision of EIA evolve in India?

In 1994, the MoEFCC under the Environment (Protection) Act 1986 (EPA), promulgated the first EIA notification with the provision of Environmental Clearance (EC).

This was replaced by the EIA 2006 notification which included the provision for decentralisation wherein State governments were also given powers to issue EC in certain cases.

A draft EIA in 2020 was floated for public comments. It was perceived to be pro-industry and compromising ecological concerns.

What are the issues plaguing EIA?

1) Lack of a national regulator: There is no regulator at the national level to carry out an independent, objective and transparent appraisal and approval of the projects for ECs.

2) Reactive rather than proactive: The EIA process now reacts to development proposals rather than anticipating them.

3) Lack of objectivity: Because the EIA is financed by the project proponent, there is a bias in favour of the project.

4) Lack of consideration of cumulative impacts: Cumulative impacts caused by several projects in an area are not taken into account.

5) Treated as just another formality: In many cases, the EIA is done as a mere formality that needs to be done for EC before a project can be started.

6) Not applicable to all projects: An EIA is not required for many projects as they do not fall within the ambit of the EIA 2006 notification.

7) Special needs of certain fragile ecosystems not considered: For instance, the EIA process is not cognizant of the special needs of the IHR.

What are the issues with EIA with respect to IHR?

1) Despite its special needs and as an area of immense ecological importance, this region is treated like any other part of the country.

2) The Himalayas are inherently vulnerable to extreme weather conditions such as heavy rains, flash floods, and landslides and are seismically active.

3) Climate change has added another layer of vulnerability to this ecosystem. This is also not taken into account.

What should be done?

Policymakers should explore tools such as the strategic environmental assessment which takes into account the cumulative impact of development in an area.

General conditions mandated for all projects could also have a clause about the IHR or mountains above a certain altitude.