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Context: Ecologists have been raising concerns about the Great Nicobar Island project.

What is the issue?

• The draft environment impact assessment (EIA) report for the mega development project in the Great Nicobar Island have raised serious questions related to submission of incorrect or incomplete information, scientific inaccuracy and failure to follow appropriate procedure.
• The NITI Aayog-piloted ₹72,000-crore integrated project in Great Nicobar includes construction of a mega port, an airport complex, a township spread over 130 sq. km of pristine forest and a solar and gas-based power plant.
• Andaman and Nicobar Islands Integrated Development Corporation Ltd. (ANIIDCO) is the project proponent.

What are the concerns raised in this project?

• Ecologists and researchers have raised concerns about this project as it ignores tribal, ecological concerns.
• This project can overrun leatherback nesting sites.
• There are also serious issues of scientific accuracy and integrity where the data presented is concerned.

What is EIA?

• Environment Impact Assessment or EIA can be defined as the study to predict the effect of a proposed activity/project on the environment.
• As a decision making tool, EIA compares various alternatives for a project and seeks to identify the one which represents the best combination of economic and environmental costs and benefits.
• Properly conducted EIA lessens conflicts by promoting community participation, informing decision makers, and helping lay the base for environmentally sound projects.

The stages of an EIA process

The environment impact assessment consists of eight steps with each step equally important in determining the overall performance of the project.

• Screening: First stage of EIA, which determines whether the proposed project, requires an EIA and if it does, then the level of assessment required.
• Scoping: This stage identifies the key issues and impacts that should be further investigated. This stage also defines the boundary and time limit of the study.
• Impact analysis: This stage of EIA identifies and predicts the likely environmental and social impact of the proposed project and evaluates the significance.
• Mitigation: This step in EIA recommends the actions to reduce and avoid the potential adverse environmental consequences of development activities.
• Reporting: This stage presents the result of EIA in a form of a report to the decision-making body and other interested parties.
• Review of EIA: It examines the adequacy and effectiveness of the EIA report and provides the information necessary for decision-making.
• Decision-making: It decides whether the project is rejected, approved or needs further change.
• Post monitoring: This stage comes into play once the project is commissioned. It checks to ensure that the impacts of the project do not exceed the legal standards and implementation of the mitigation measures are in the manner as described in the EIA report.

https://www.thehindu.com/sci-tech/energy-and-environment/inaccuracies-procedural-violations-in-great-nicobar-draft-environment-impact-assessment/article38324776.ece

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