Environmental Impact Assessment & Management: Need of the Hour

Environmental Impact assessment (EIA) is must for suitable development. It provides a guideline for planning and management of environmental related projects, which possess a big challenge to the scientists, engineers, policy and and decision makers. In this paper an effort has been made to describe the need of EIA,when and why it is used, its various components and tools such as EIS, GIS, Scoping and Mitigation etc. The paper outlines structure, model format and methodology for analysis of Environmental Impact Assessment, environmental Quality Management (EQM) & environmental Impact Remedies (EIR). It also highlights the role of public in EIA. Most of the environmental impact can be minimized or even completely avoided by adequate and proper pre-planning through use of EIA. EIA has come to be a permanent part of any decision making for a responsible Government or Industry.