Advances in Environmental Impact Assessment Laws in India: A Study of 25 Years of Enforcement and Governance [1994-2019] (original) (raw)

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) law in India started in 1994 has completed 25 years of its enforcement and working in 2019. Being a cardinal principle of sustainability, the EIA law fostered good governance and environmental justice. The EIA law lately added to the corpus of law and ecology. However, it attained maturity in terms of its coverage of central, regional, coastal, and heritage conservation laws. The salubrious provisions of social impact, environmental planning, and public hearing reflected the EIA regime. The pollution control mechanism, ecological cycle assessment, and cultural heritage conservation are also some of the features of Indian EIA law. As an offshoot of the Environment Protection Act, 1986, the EIIIA grew under myriads of delegated legislation. It is yet to become an independent environmental statute and coming out of pounds and shells of subordinate legislation. The EIA has often seen a potential piece of sustainability law and augury of ecological justice in India. The EIA law requires an assessment of its success and failures during the working of the quartet century. The paper is a critical appraisal of EIA laws from 1994-2019 to take stock of its enforcement and governance. Keywords: Environmental Impact Assessment, Social Impact Assessment, Strategic Impact Assessment, Public Hearing & Participation, Sustainability Law, Environmental Justice.