Environment impact assessment: a case study for expansion of NIRMA chemical complex
Student name: Ms Richa Mahtta
Guide: Dr Suresh Jain
Year of completion: 2011
Host Organisation: Asian Consulting Engineers Private Limited
Supervisor (Host Organisation): Mr Abhaye Mahajan
Abstract: Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) came into existence in the world, some forty years back
when it was introduced as a part of the National Environmental Policy Act (NEPA) of 1969 in the
United States. Since then, governments of more than 100 countries have adopted provisions for
the implementation of environmental impact assessment as a tool to evaluate the impacts arising
from the major activity ( policy, plan, program or project) that are likely to have environmental
impacts. But with the passage of time EIA procedures are losing their main motives as
environment is becoming just a fancy word. Looking at the ‘cook-book’ EIA performance of the
poorly trained practitioners, it is very much visible that EIA is just taken merely as one more
hurdle to be vaulted on the way to project implementation. And the situation is worsened in
developing countries like India.
A comparison of EIA systems enables lessons to be drawn from one system which can be applied
to other. Thus, with a motive to improvise the current status and performance of EIA system in
India, this work envisages a comparison of EIA systems of developed nations having an old and
mature EIA system with developing nations. Further, a case study of an EIA of a chemical
industry in India has been taken in detail, in order to understand the procedure of EIA being
followed by the consultants, to bring out the gaps in law and practices. Land Use Land Cover
(LULC) of the project area has been prepared using unsupervised classifier, Wind rose Diagrams
have been prepared using WR-Plot and air dispersion modelling has been performed using
ISCST-AERMOD, to understand the site for maximum pollutant concentration around the 10 km
radius of the project location.
Keywords: Environment Impact Assessment, Developed Countries, Developing countries,
AERMOD
