Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Consultancy in India
Environmental clearance has a way of becoming the critical-path item in project timelines. A mining company waiting on a Category A clearance. A highway project stalled at the public hearing stage. A hospital expansion held up because the Form 1 was incomplete. EIA isn’t just an environmental requirement — it’s a regulatory gate that determines when your project moves.
Eco Paryavaran is a QCI-NABET accredited EIA consultant, one of a limited number of firms authorised by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change to prepare Environmental Impact Assessment reports for projects requiring Category A and Category B clearances under the EIA Notification 2006.
Project Categories and the Clearance Process
Under the EIA Notification 2006, projects are classified into Category A (appraised at the central level by MoEFCC) and Category B (appraised at the state level by the State Expert Appraisal Committee). Category B projects are further divided into B1 (requiring full EIA) and B2 (requiring only a Form 1 check). The first step in any EIA process is correctly classifying your project — the classification determines the timeline, the scope of baseline studies, and which authority you’re dealing with.
For Category A projects, the process runs: screening → scoping (TOR from Expert Appraisal Committee) → baseline data collection (minimum one seasonal cycle, usually one year for projects with seasonal variation) → impact prediction → EMP preparation → public consultation → appraisal → clearance. The full cycle for a Category A project typically runs 12 to 24 months from TOR to clearance, depending on the project type and the current appraisal calendar.
Category B1 projects follow a shorter process without central appraisal, and B2 projects go through a simplified screening. Industrial estates, thermal power plants, river valley projects, and most mining operations above certain thresholds fall under Category A. Manufacturing units, infrastructure projects, and smaller industrial facilities typically fall under Category B.
The Baseline Study: Where EIA Reports Succeed or Fail
The quality of an EIA report is determined almost entirely by the quality of its baseline data. Appraisal committees and NGT have increasingly scrutinised baseline studies for completeness, methodology, and the validity of the study area. A baseline that uses secondary data where primary measurements are required — or that covers only the pre-monsoon season when year-round variation is needed — will get sent back.
Eco Paryavaran runs its baseline studies with in-house measurement teams. Air quality monitoring stations deployed at project-area locations, surface water and groundwater sampling, soil characterisation, ecological surveys, and socio-economic baseline work in project-affected villages. Data is collected over the period specified in the TOR and processed through our NABL-affiliated environmental testing laboratory.
Our EIA Services
We prepare EIA reports for thermal power projects, cement plants, mining operations, industrial estates, infrastructure projects, real estate developments, and river valley projects across India. Our services include Form 1 and Form 1A preparation, TOR application, rapid EIA and comprehensive EIA preparation, EMP formulation, public consultation support, and post-clearance compliance monitoring. We also handle Environment Management Plan (EMP) implementation reviews and compliance reporting for projects that are already in the construction or operation phase.
Alongside EIA, Eco Paryavaran provides solid waste management consultant services for project construction and operational waste streams, STP/ETP design for wastewater management requirements identified in the EMP, and environmental testing through our in-house lab. Most of our clients engage us for the full compliance program rather than just the clearance.
Beyond EIA, Eco Paryavaran is a full-spectrum environmental consultancy. Explore our solid waste management consultant services, STP design and installation, and NABL environmental testing laboratory for comprehensive environmental support.
