This document outlines the public consultation process for projects in India. It discusses who can participate, which includes local residents, welfare groups, and environmental groups near the project site. The public consultation process has three main steps: 1) the proponent requests a public hearing, 2) the pollution control board announces the hearing details, and 3) the board completes the consultation and submits a report. The public hearing allows the proponent to present the project and address questions, comments, and concerns from participants. Following the hearing, a report is produced summarizing the issues raised, responses, and ensuring the process was adequately publicized.

1. PUBLIC CONSULTATION
PROCESS
Citizen consumer and civic Action Group
Madras School of Economics, Chennai
March 27, 2015

2. AIM:
* To explain the project to the people
* To rectify the doubts about the project
* To explain the impacts that might occur due to the project – both
positive and negative, including social impacts
* To elaborate the environmental mitigation measures of the project
* To get public opinion about the upcoming project

3. WHO CAN PARTICIPATE IN A PUBLIC CONSULTATION?
* Local residents
* Welfare associations
* Environmental groups
* Any other person located near the project site(s) of displacement
* Other environmental concerned persons

4. PUBLIC CONSULTATION:
*“Public Consultation” refers to the process by which the concerns of
local affected persons and others who have plausible stake in the
environmental impacts of the project or activity are ascertained with a
view to taking into account all the material concerns in the project or
activity design as appropriate.
* Public consultation process should be completed within 45 days
* It has 3 steps
1)Day 1 proponent request public hearing
2)Before day 7 SPCB announce details of Public consultation
3)Before Day 45 SPCB completes public consultation and
submits report to MOEF&CC/SEIAA

5. PROCESS OF PUBLIC HEARING:
STEP 1: Day 1 Proponent requests public hearing
* Proponent submits Executive Summary of EIA in English & local
language & Draft EIA of the project to MoEF&CC /SPCB
* Draft EIA to be made available in District Magistrate / collector /
commissioner/Industries’ Office/ Panchayat / Municipal Corporation
* Proponent requests SPCB to conduct Public hearing

6. ROLE OF State Pollution Control Board (SPCB):
STEP 2: Before day 7 public consultation is announced.
Public consultation consists of public hearing and written response
PUBLIC HEARING
* Advertising details of public hearing in vernacular
* Advertising through Radio/TV & through Beating of Drums
* Ensuring availability of Draft EIA & Executive Summary of Draft
EIA
- as hard/ soft copy at the offices mentioned in Step 1
- in SPCB Website
WRITTEN RESPONSE:
* Written response are accepted of 1 month till the date of public
hearing.
* All the offices -should submit response

7. • PUBLIC HEARING PROCESS:
Step 3.1: Before day 45 a public hearing process at the venue
* District Magistrate, Collector, Deputy Commissioner
* SPCB takes minutes and ensure opportunity for all
* Project Proponent to present important details of the proposed project
* Participants to ask questions
* Proponent clarify the questions and proposed mitigation measures
* SPCB to read out the recorded minutes in local language
* Minutes get signed
* SPCB to submit Public Hearing Report to MoEF & CC/ SEIAA

8. Public Hearing Report:
Step 3.2
* Summary of the Public Hearing
* Statement in tabular form of each and every issue raised by the public
and the corresponding reply of the Project Proponent
* Copy of the video recording of the Public Hearing
* Written responses received about the project
* Details of publicity measures undertaken for the hearing by the
SPCB, which should certify that the process followed was adequate

9. Availability of Public Hearing Report:
Step 3.3: Reports should be displayed
* Panchayat
* Zila Parishad
* District Magistrate
* State Pollution Control Board
* State Pollution Control Board website

10. THANK YOU