Consider the following statements about rapid vs comprehensive EIA and GIS use:

Question

Consider the following statements about rapid vs comprehensive EIA and GIS use:

I. Rapid EIA studies usually cover shorter time-frames and less detailed field work

than comprehensive EIA.

II. Comprehensive EIA is often required for projects with high potential

Environmental impact.

III. GIS and remote sensing are used in EIA mainly for printing brochures and

advertisements.

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

1. A. I and II only (Correct answer)
2. B. I and III only
3. C. II and III only
4. D. I, II and III

Correct Answer

Option A — I and II only

Detailed Solution & Explanation

The correct answer is I and II only.

Key Points

• Statement I is correct. Rapid EIA covers a shorter time frame — typically one season's baseline data excluding the monsoon — and involves less detailed field work than a comprehensive study.
• Statement II is correct. Comprehensive EIA, with a full year of seasonal data, is required for projects of high impact potential, where the consequences of an incomplete assessment are greatest.
• Statement III is incorrect, and it is what decides the answer.

Additional Information

• The choice between the two is made at scoping and recorded in the Terms of Reference, so it is a regulatory decision rather than the consultant's discretion.
• A rapid EIA can be upgraded if it reveals significant impacts or serious data gaps; the appraisal committee can require full seasonal data before granting clearance.
• The risk in relying on a single season is systematic bias: a river assessed only in the lean season, or an airshed assessed only outside the winter inversion period, will understate the impact that matters.
• India's project categorisation under the EIA Notification, 2006 works on a similar logic of proportionality — Category A projects are appraised centrally by the MoEFCC, Category B at state level by SEIAA, with B1 requiring an EIA and B2 generally exempt.