Abstract
The quality of Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) very much depends on the efficiency of the management system of the EIA consultant organizations. As per statutory requirements, EIA Consultant Organisations must have an accreditation for carrying out the EIA study in India from the National Accreditation Board for Education and Training (NABET) which is a nodal organization under the Quality Council of India (QCI) as per Gazette Notification dated March 3, 2016. The Quality Management System (QMS) is an integral part of the accreditation process, hence the study provides an analysis of the effectiveness of QMS for Accredited EIA Consultant Organisations (ACOs) in reality. The relationship between QMS and EIA reports is analysed from NABET database for various accredited consultant organizations across the country. The study revealed that the quality management system has a significant impact on the EIA reports. The major factors affecting EIA quality are lack of implementation of a quality system, inadequate knowledge of the system and lack of data interpretation. A regular review of QMS by NABET helps maintain the quality at every step of EIA. It suggests that there is a scope for developing a strategic framework to reach excellence in EIA reports through developing a strategic management system for the betterment of society and environment.
Highlights
There is a trade-off between economic development and environmental protection
The paper discusses the role of Quality Management System (QMS) to assess the implications of procedures prepared by the organization on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) reports, the following three parameters are used in the evaluation- i) Correlation between the QMS and Quality of EIA, ii) QMS performance of a new organization and iii) Accredited Consultant Organizations (ACOs)’s performance based on quality of EIA reports
It is noticed that sometimes Accredited Consultant Organizations (ACOs) lack of customization of the Quality system, policies, and procedures to suit their business/sector and project requirements
Summary
There is a trade-off between economic development and environmental protection. It depends on how well this trade-off between these two drivers is managed which becomes critical for any country aspiring for high growth to meet its development objectives. A well-executed Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) for projects helps in proactively addressing the environment protection aspect during the project life cycle, which very much depends. An environmental clearance process is a key mechanism for striking a balance between the two contrasting drivers of growth. In the EIA, environment and social considerations are given due importance in the decision-making by clearly evaluating the consequences of the proposed activity before any action is taken. Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) ensures optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development[1]
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