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1. Independent EIA Authority
2. Sector wide EIA s needed
3. Creation of an information desk
4. Creation of a centralized baseline data bank
5. Dissemination of all information related to projects from notification to clearance to local communities and general public
Applicability:
1. All those projects where there is likely to be a significant alternation of ecosystems need to go through the process of environmental clearance, without exception.
2. No industrial developmental activity should be permitted in ecologically sensitive areas.
Public hearing:
1. Public hearings should be applicable to all hitherto exempt categories of projects which have environmental impacts.
Quality:
1. The focus of EIA needs to shift from utilization and exploitation of natural resources to conservation of natural resources.
2. At present EIA reports are extremely weak when it comes to assessment of biological diversity of a project area and the consequent impacts on it. This gap needs to be plugged through a specific guidelines and through necessary amendments.
3. The checklist needs to include impacts on agricultural biodiversity, biodiversity related traditional knowledge and live hoods.
4. All EIA reports should clearly state what are the adverse impacts that a proposed projects will have. This should be a separate chapter and not hidden within technical details.
5. The sub components or subsidiary reports of EIA reports (e.g. Assessments of Biodiversity impacts done by a sub consultant) should be made publicly accessible as stand alone reports with the EIA. This should be available on the websites of the MOEF.
6. EIAs should be based on full studies carried out over at least one year. Single season data on environmental parameters like biodiversity, as is being done for several rapid assessments is not adequate to gain understanding of the full impact of the proposed project.
7. It is critical that the preparation of an EIA is completely independent of the project proponent. One option for this could be the creation of a central fund for the EIAs which contains fees deposited by project proponents while seeking that an EIA be done for their proposed project.
8. State and central governments should maintain a list of credible, independent and competent agencies that can carry out EIAs. similarly the EIA consultant those are making false reports should be black listed.
9. A national level accreditation to environment consultancy should be adopted