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The Opposition Congress has launched an all-out attack against the new Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 draft of the Union Environment Ministry. The party urged the Centre to withdraw it to stop “loot of the nation and environmental destruction”. Tuesday is the last date for submitting public feedback on the draft.
Senior Congress leader Rahul Gandhi said the draft is not only disgraceful, but also dangerous. “Not only does it have the potential to reverse many of the hard fought gains that have been won over the years in the battle to protect our environment, it could potentially unleash widespread environmental destruction and mayhem across India,” he said.
He said, if implemented, there should be no requirement for EIA for even highly polluting industries such as coal and mineral mining. “Neither will highways or railway lines passing through dense forests and other eco-sensitive areas, that will result in the massive hacking down of trees, leading to the destruction of habitats of thousands of endangered species,” he said.
Gandhi said the provision to give post facto EIA is a terrible idea. If EIA 2020 is notified by the Government, the long term consequences of the widespread environmental degradation will be catastrophic for the country and future generations of Indians.
Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science and Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change Jairam Ramesh wrote to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar that the Minister is misrepresenting the impact of draft EIA.
He demanded Javadekar to keep the draft in abeyance until the Standing Committee examines it in detail. “It is unclear what is meant by the objective of bringing all violators ‘under the regulatory regime’. It appears from the processes proposed in Clause 22 that the government’s objective is to give all the violators an opportunity to regularise their illegal activities. First and foremost the Government must punish the violators,” he added.
Javadekar’s response
Talking to reporters, Javadekar said the objections to draft EIA is unnecessary and premature. “Saw reaction of some leaders demanding protest against the EIA draft. How can they protest against the draft? It is not a final notification. It was kept for public consultation for 150 days because of Covid-19. Otherwise it is only 60 days as per rules,” he said.
The Ministry has received thousands of suggestions, he said. “We will consider those suggestions. Then take a call and come out with final draft. So people jumping just on the draft is not fair practice. Those who want to now protest, during their regime took many of the big decisions without consultations. It is unnecessary and premature. I have mentioned it in my letter to Jairam Ramesh,” the Union Minister added.
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