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Since the introduction of the environmental impact assessment notification of 1994, there has been considerable research related to EIA procedures in India. Research has emphasized predominantly 'developing appropriate regulations' and 'institutional procedures necessary to implement them'. As follow-up is usually associated with post-decision stages in EIA, a sound design stage is crucial for laying down its foundations. This paper explores follow-up considerations during the pre-decision stage of open cast coal mines in India and demonstrates the challenges posed within the Indian context. In doing so, the outcome of EIA reviews undertaken by the expert committee and the EIA reports are reviewed. It even goes a step further by relating the follow-up design stage in India to international principles of best practices of EIA follow-up.

Our demands on natural systems outweigh the capacity of those systems to support us. This paper calls for an approach to development that consistently delivers 'net benefit' for biodiversity or 'ecological enhancement'. Examples of enhancement are presented through four case studies in India undertaken between 2005 and 2010. Actions focus on improving the overall ecological structure, composition and functions of sites; strengthening ecological networks by creating new habitats and buffer areas; and improving the services provided by the ecosystems, without jeopardizing biodiversity. While recognizing the importance of quantitative metrics of impacts and mitigation measures to determine outcomes, such measures were not available in these cases; enhancement is evaluated primarily in relation to pre-project conditions. The paper emphasizes the importance of considering alternatives that satisfy the mitigation hierarchy, and proposes a number of criteria for evaluating ecological enhancement.

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