Environmental Due Diligence:
In today's volatile and fluctuating financial and business world, identifying environmental issues of a site or property with an industrial history is imperative prior to acquisition/expansion. Environmental due diligence helps to evaluate potential environmental liabilities, an understanding of a site's liabilities and evaluates the importance of any required clean-up operations, helping to define the true value of the site. Environmental Due Diligence Assessments allow companies to be fully informed during the decision making process in mergers and acquisitions (M&A) and divestitures.
Phase I - The Phase I assessment include both onsite & desktop review of Regulatory compliance liabilities and Environmental contamination management practices based on ASTM standards [E1527-13].
Phase II - perform a Phase II ESA that is based on ASTM Standard E1903-11 'Standard Practices for Environmental Site Assessments. This stage includes the following steps:
An 'intrusive' investigation to collect samples from the potential areas of concern as recommended in the Phase I ESA (for example, soil and groundwater assessment, asbestos sampling and identification, etc.)
The most frequently tested substances include: petroleum hydrocarbons, heavy metals, pesticides, solvents, asbestos, etc.
Brownfield suite as recommended in ASTM guidelines.
At the conclusion of the Phase II ESA our experts can provide a professional opinion on any potential presence/disposal/release of hazardous substances or petroleum products at the site.
Compliance Audit : Objective of Environmental Compliance/Regulatory compliance Audit is;
Give the site situation about the environmental legislation and permit applicable to the site
Identify all environmental liabilities (e.g. lack of environmental permit, leakage of tanks, obligation to place containment under waste storage, etc.)
Water Audit:
Water audit is an important management tool for effective conservation of water. Broadly water audit is conducted categorically in two systems, resource audit or supply side audit and the other one as consumption audit on demand side. The audit includes performance assessment of raw water sources & existing storage systems, estimation of present water consumption, losses, water balance across the entire system, assessment of water consumption per capita, measures of improving efficiency of water utility networks and also to enhance operational efficiency through controls.
EIA Studies:
EIA studies is a planning tool to confirm environmental acceptability of a proposed project, in addition to the applicable statutory requirements as per Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2006 and amendments thereof, under Environment (protection) Act, 1986.
The principle objectives of an EIA study are to;
Establish and review existing baseline conditions pertaining to the project site and its surrounding area;
Identify and assess the environmental impact during construction and operational phases of the project;
Advice and assist in identifying appropriate measures to mitigate adverse environmental impacts;
Formulate an Environmental Management Plan (EMP) for the identified significant environmental impacts which area likely to emerge as a result of the project.
SIA Studies:
SIA studies is to include the impacts due to the proposed project. Based on the site survey, it will generate socio-economic data about project affected families and prepare an inventory of property. From the study, project proponent shall develop measures to safeguard the project affected families (PAFs) from the loss occurred due to the proposed project with an objective of sustainable development. The study shall meet the requirement of funding institutions for funding of the project. The main objectives of the social assessment are to ensure transparency, predictability and accountability in the present study, the study shall have following
Objectives:
To assess the socio-economic conditions of the families/people likely to be affected due to the proposed project.
To examine potential positive and negative impacts on the socio-economic condition of the people in the project area.
To develop appropriate measures to minimise the negative socio-economic impacts.
To prepare Resettlement Action Plan (RAP) based on the existing policies, laws and guidelines of the government for the loss caused to the project affected people.
Hydrology & Flood Risk Assessment :
Hydrology is the scientific study of the movement, distribution and quality of water on earth surface. The study includes water cycle, water resources, watershed, drainage pattern, geomorphology and landuse.
The study is used to make predictions of the future behaviour of hydrologic system.
To understand the surface land features/topography/soil characterstics/drainage pattern.
Evaluation of flood hazard, high flood levels of major drains/water bodies in & around the study site.
To arrive rainfall intensity/peak discharge/rainfall depth for the various return periods (25, 50 & 100 years).
Use of long term historical rainfall data from the authentic sources.
Deriving runoff conditions/catchment area/watershed area. Runoff drain way-in and way-out points with respect to the site boundary.
Flood risk assessment & Predictions of flood inundation for the various return periods. Mitigation measures for the flood risk area/zone.
Suggestions/Recommendation of additional drainage requirement and Protection wall.
Hydrogeological study:
The hydrogeological studies shall be carried out in the area to understand the local geology, geomorphic features, drainage network, aquifer characteristics and yield of water.
The objective of the study is to understand groundwater potential of the area and its yield. The hydrogeological study includes, site visit and measurement of Ground water level, Conducting vertical electrical sounding to assess the stratigraphy and aquifer characteristics, Pumping test to know the groundwater recharging conditions of the area. Preparation of landuse maps, drainage maps and digital elevation maps to arrive the hydrological conditions of the area. Also to assess groundwater availability for futur use.
