<p class=\"MsoNormal\" style=\"text-align: justify; line-height: 150%; margin: 0in 0in 0pt;\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\"><em><span style=\"font-size: medium;\"><span style=\"font-family: Times New Roman;\">EIA is taken up as a rapid assessment technique for evaluating the current status of the environment and identifying its impact on different activities on environmental parameters. EIA typically refers to a process involving the systematic identification and evaluation of the potential impacts of proposed projects, plans, programs, or policies on indicators of the physical-chemical, biological (ecological), cultural, and socioeconomic components of the total environment. The ultimate purpose of EIAs is to help reconcile environmental protection and sustainable development. Hence it is an important management tool for ensuring optimal use of natural resources for sustainable development. It is thus a pre-cursor to detailed analysis of environmental impacts, which are taken up only if a need for the same is established.<span style=\"mso-spacerun: yes;\">&nbsp; </span><span style=\"mso-ansi-language: EN;\" lang=\"EN\">The <a title=\"Ministry of Environment and Forests (India)\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ministry_of_Environment_and_Forests_(India)\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Ministry of Environment and Forests</span></a> (MoEF) of India has been in a great effort in Environmental Impact Assessment in India. The main laws in action are The Water Act(1974), The Indian <a title=\"Wildlife Protection Act of 1972\" href=\"http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wildlife_Protection_Act_of_1972\"><span style=\"color: #000000;\">Wildlife (Protection) Act (1972)</span></a>, The Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act (1981) and The Environment (Protection) Act (1986).</span></span></span></em></span></p>
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