4.0     ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT PREDICTION

 Prediction involving identification and assessment of potential impacts of the project on the surrounding environment is a significant component of REIA studies. Environmental impact in the study area is any alteration of environmental conditions, adverse or beneficial, caused or induced by the impact of project.

The concept of co-generation is different from sugar industry. The basic is non -seasonal industry Secondly, the Government fixes the tariff of the power. This industry is subjected to lot of uncertainties such as price of sugar cane, crop yield etc.

As, Indian agriculture industry has to depend on the monsoon rains and irrigation facilities; the sugar cane crop production is subject to changes from place to place and year to year. In addition, the price of major raw material i.e Sugar cane varies from one place to another, farmer to farmer and from one industry to the other even for the same quality.

Moreover, Sugar Factories are required to be established in rural areas having the major agriculture crop as sugarcane. This is because; majority of sugar production in India is carried out from Sugar cane and there is a well-established process as well as there are indigenous suppliers of Plant and Machinery required for the Sugar factories.                                                                             

In line with any industrial development, the sugar factories and associated co-generation projects have environmental impacts during construction and operational phases. However, by-and large the impacts are local and there are no major sub regional or regional impacts.

Like any other industrial project, the proposed co-generation plant involves activities such as erection of plant and machinery and creating infrastructure for transportation of raw material and finished products as the main activities during construction phase. These activities during construction phase have various impacts on air & water quality, noise levels, socio-economic environment etc.

However,   these  industries  are  traditionally well  known  for their  adverse environmental impacts due to the bagasse and ash disposal problems in operational phase. Co-generation plants have solved the problem of bagasse disposal. Thanks to the tax concessions / incentives granted by the Central and State Government as well as activities of other government / non-government agencies for promoting non-conventional energy sources for power generation.