Get summaries, questions, answers, solutions, notes, extras, PDF and guide of Chapter 6 Environmental Impact Assessment, NBSE Class 9 Environmental Education textbook, which is part of the syllabus of students studying under Nagaland Board. These solutions, however, should only be treated as references and can be modified/changed.
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Summary
Environmental Impact Assessment is a process to study how human activities affect the environment. It helps people understand the impact of projects like building factories or dams. This assessment became mandatory in 1994 for many types of projects. A report is prepared and submitted to the Ministry of Environment. The ministry reviews the report and makes a decision within 30 days. If approved, the project can start. The clearance is valid for five years.
The Environmental Impact Assessment is a planning tool. It gathers information about a proposed project. Decision-makers use this information to approve or reject the project. They can also suggest changes to reduce harm to the environment. The assessment predicts possible damage early in the planning stage. It suggests ways to reduce negative effects. However, even with good planning, environmental damage can still happen.
The role of Environmental Impact Assessment is to protect the environment and support sustainable development. It combines environmental protection with economic decisions during planning. It forecasts the environmental, social, and economic impacts of a project. It lessens harmful effects and involves people, government, and agencies in reviewing projects. If a project is rejected, alternative options are suggested to meet developmental needs.
In India, the Ministry of Environment and Forests made it mandatory for certain projects to get clearance. Public hearings are required for environmental clearance. Many industries need this clearance before starting work. There are tables that list environmental characteristics and project actions. These help identify how projects might affect the environment.
Two case studies are discussed. The Aswan High Dam in Egypt caused several problems. Evaporation and water loss were not properly assessed. Sedimentation reduced nutrients in the river, affecting fish populations. Disease-carrying snails contaminated the water, increasing malaria cases. Soil salinity rose, reducing agricultural production. The Tehri Dam in India faced objections from locals and environmentalists. They feared earthquakes, silt deposition, and ecosystem destruction. Authorities argued modern technology could handle these issues. They also said smaller dams would cost more and displace more people.
Environmental Impact Assessment helps predict environmental effects. It must be completed within 90 days of receiving documents. Its purpose is to achieve environmental protection with sustainable development. The relevance of the assessment depends on planning. Projects are categorized into three groups. After approval, a mitigation plan reduces adverse effects. In India, 30 categories of industries require clearance. Mistakes were made while assessing the Aswan High Dam and views of people were ignored in the Tehri Dam project.
Textbook solutions
Multiple Choice Questions (MCQs)
1. The Environmental Impact Assessment was made mandatory for various types of projects in the year.
(a) 1992
(b) 1990
(c) 1994
(d) 1993
Answer: c. 1994
2. The assessment must be completed within ___ days of receipt of documents and data from the project authorities.
(a) 80
(b) 85
(c) 90
(d) 94
Answer: c. 90
3. EIA means:
(a) Employee Impact Assessment
(b) Environment Impact Assignment
(c) Environmental Impact Assessment
(d) Environmental Industrial Assessment
Answer: c. Environmental Impact Assessment
Very Short Answer Questions
1. What is Environmental Impact Assessment?
Answer: Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) is the assessment of the impact of developmental or other projects on the environment. It involves different steps, including:
(i) Monitoring and sampling of pollutants.
(ii) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of pollutants.
(iii) Complete study to assess every possible damage due to exposure to pollutants emitted or discharged from the plant, factory, or industry.
2. Define the role of EIA.
Answer: The role of EIA is to support the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development, integrate environmental protection and economic decisions at the planning stage, forecast environmental, social, and economic consequences of a proposed project, lessen the adverse impacts likely to result from a proposed project, and involve people, government, and various agencies to review the proposed project.
3. Write the significance of EIA.
Answer: The objective of EIA is to minimize environmental damage and to ensure development. It will also help the proper utilization of resources without reducing their potential to meet future needs. It will not slow down the pace of socio-economic development. If any project is rejected on environmental grounds, its alternative options are also suggested which can meet the country’s developmental needs.
Short Answer Questions
1. What is the stipulated time for assessing and conveying decision?
Answer: The assessment must be completed within 90 days of receipt of documents and data.
2. Explain the planning stage of EIA.
Answer: The Environmental Impact Assessment is basically a planning tool that helps in decision-making. It helps in gathering information about the proposed project, which is provided to the decision-makers who decide the fate of the project. The decision-makers approve or disapprove the project and can also recommend modifications to minimize the adverse effects on the environment. The EIA predicts environmental damage at an early stage of planning and suggests different ways to reduce the adverse impacts.
3. Describe the relevance of EIA.
Answer: The relevance of EIA totally depends upon planning. All types of information are provided to the decision-makers to approve or disapprove the project. The result or decision taken may or may not bring desired results, which means that the environment may be damaged even after planning and taking appropriate decisions.
4. What is the significance of EIA?
Answer: The objective of EIA is to minimize environmental damage and to ensure development. It will also help the proper utilization of resources without reducing their potential to meet future needs. It will not slow down the pace of socio-economic development. If any project is rejected on environmental grounds, its alternative options are also suggested which can meet the country’s developmental needs.
5. What errors were committed while assessing the Aswan High Dam of Egypt?
Answer: Evaporation loss was not assessed because high-velocity winds were not considered. The high-velocity winds passing over a lake cause much higher evaporation than low-velocity winds, resulting in a loss of 5 billion cubic meters of water every year. Loss of water through seepage and percolation was also not taken into consideration.
6. Describe the features of Aswan High Dam.
Answer: Aswan High Dam over Lake Nasser is one of the highest dams in the world. It lies in Egypt, and its construction was started in 1964. Its construction caused several environmental problems of serious consequences. The environmental impact of the dam and lake was not properly evaluated. Initially, a small dam was constructed in 1902, but it could not cater to the needs of controlling floods and providing water for irrigation. Then, Aswan High Dam was constructed in 1964 for various purposes like controlling floods, irrigation, hydro-electric power generation, reclaiming additional land from the desert, and protecting people from drought and famine.
7. Describe the features of Tehri Dam.
Answer: The Tehri Dam is being constructed on the Ganga River in Tehri district of Uttarakhand. The major objective of the project is to impound floodwaters of the river into a large reservoir behind the dam, generation of hydro-electricity, irrigation, and tourism. The project was approved by the government, and work started on April 5, 1978.
Long Answer Questions
1. Discuss briefly the procedure of Environmental Impact Assessment.
Answer: The procedure of Environmental Impact Assessment involves multiple steps:
(i) Monitoring and sampling of pollutants.
(ii) Qualitative and quantitative analysis of pollutants.
(iii) A complete study to assess every possible damage due to exposure to pollutants emitted or discharged from the plant, factory, or industry.
2. What are the purposes of Environmental Impact Assessment?
Answer: The purposes of Environmental Impact Assessment are:
(i) The Environmental Impact Assessment was made mandatory in 1994 for various types of projects.
(ii) The project proponent is required to submit an Environmental Impact Assessment report, the management plan, details of the public hearing, and the project report to the Ministry of Environment.
(iii) Environmental Impact Assessment reports of these projects are evaluated by the Ministry or its Environmental Impact Assessment Agency.
(iv) The decision thereafter must be conveyed within 30 days. If the clearance is granted, it is valid for five years from the commencement of construction or operation of the project.
3. Write a note on Environmental Impact Assessment in India.
Answer: The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, issued a notification on January 27, 1994. This notification made it mandatory for the expansion or setting up of new projects. Till 1994, all projects undertaken by the public sector (government) or private sector required EIA clearance from the government as an administrative requirement. Now, there are 30 categories of industries that require EIA clearance. The Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India, made public hearing mandatory for environmental clearance vide Notification No: S.O. No. 60E dated April 10, 1997.
4. What problems were faced after the completion of Aswan High Dam?
Answer: The problems faced after the completion of Aswan High Dam were:
(i) 134 million tons of sediments brought by the River Nile were deposited each year because of the absence of sluices or floodgates.
(ii) Sedimentation in the lake resulted in the reduction of nutrients near the mouth of the Nile, leading to a one-third reduction in plankton, which further led to the falling population of fish like sardine, mackerel, and lobster.
(iii) The reservoir or lake water became contaminated by disease-carrying snails.
(iv) There was a considerable increase in the incidence of malaria.
(v) A very high rate of soil salinity reduced agricultural production.
5. Discuss the objections raised by the environmentalists in Tehri Dam.
Answer: The objections raised by the environmentalists in Tehri Dam wre:
(i) The dam is situated in the region of faults, and the construction of the dam may trigger off earthquakes.
(ii) There can be heavy deposition of silt in the reservoir.
(iii) The submergence of mountain valleys will destroy the ecosystem.
(iv) Tehri Dam will displace at least 125,000 people from 112 villages. The government plans to provide them land in plains, but the people are habitual of living in the mountains.
(v) The international border with China is hardly 50 km away; therefore, it is not desirable to build a huge dam from a defense point of view.
(vi) Environmentalists plead for the construction of small dams instead of a big one.
6. What were the views of authorities regarding objections raised by environmentalists in Tehri Dam?
Answer: The views of authorities regarding objections raised by environmentalists in Tehri Dam were:
(i) With the help of modern technology, dam structures can withstand even strong earthquake tremors. Many dams have already been constructed in such areas, and they have withstood tremors of very high intensity, e.g., Bhakra Dam, Nurek Dam of Tadzikistan, Tarbela, and Mangla Dams of Pakistan.
(ii) Regarding the construction of multiple small dams instead of one large dam, authorities say that the construction of many smaller dams would cost more. Ten to twenty smaller dams would have an irrigation capacity of 5,000 to 10,000 hectares per dam, whereas one big dam would irrigate at least 100,000 hectares of land. More people will be displaced by smaller dams.
(iii) Regarding the rehabilitation of the displaced people, authorities say that if displaced people are allotted land near or in a big city, it is a blessing for them. Otherwise, people shift from rural to adjoining cities.
(iv) Each family would get ₹40,000; allotment of 2 acres of land per landless laborer; ex gratia payment of ₹12,000 per hectare of agricultural land; ₹20,000 per family for house compensation; ₹1,000 per family for seeds and fertilizers; ₹3,000 per family for shifting household goods; a residential plot of 200 sq. m per family.
(v) Regarding environmental problems, there would not be much degradation except the submergence of the area under water.
(vi) Regarding the dam’s proximity to the international border, the distance of 50 km is sufficient. Bhakra Dam is even closer to the international border than Tehri Dam.
Extras
Additional questions and answers
1. What does EIA stand for?
Answer : EIA stands for Environmental Impact Assessment.
43. How does EIA balance developmental needs with environmental protection?
Answer : EIA balances developmental needs with environmental protection by:
(i) Supporting the goals of environmental protection and sustainable development.
(ii) Integrating environmental protection and economic decisions at the planning stage.
(iii) Forecasting environmental, social, and economic consequences of a proposed project.
(iv) Lessening the adverse impacts likely to result from the proposed project.
(v) Involving people, government, and various agencies to review the proposed project.
Additional MCQs
1. What does the term Environmental Impact refer to?
A. Effect on nature
B. Market analysis
C. Architectural design
D. Financial audit
Answer: A. Effect on nature
50. Which notification made public hearing mandatory for environmental clearance in India?
A. S.O. No. 60E
B. S.O. No. 50D
C. S.O. No. 70F
D. S.O. No. 80G
Answer: A. S.O. No. 60E
Ron’e Dutta is a journalist, teacher, aspiring novelist, and blogger who manages Online Free Notes. An avid reader of Victorian literature, his favourite book is Wuthering Heights by Emily Brontë. He dreams of travelling the world. You can connect with him on social media. He does personal writing on ronism.
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