Dimapur, Aug. 19 (EMN): Nagaland Pradesh Youth Congress (NPYC) has demanded the government to unconditionally withdraw the proposed draft notification for Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020, stating that it would supersede the EIA notification 2006 under the Environment (Protection) Act.
Stating that the notification deserves extensive discussions, NPYC alleged the proposed changes are not guided by environmental concerns but ‘by the concerns of corporate sector.’
In a representation to the union minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change, Prakash Javadekar, NPYC stated that policies implemented by various governments in favour of neo-colonial powers and corporates have made the ‘life of people grievous.’ Stating that soil, drinking water, seas and forests are deeply encroached, NPYC claimed that the new draft for EIA 2020 would intensify the crisis.
“There is a provision for public consultation in the existing rules, including a public hearing at which the local community and interested persons can give opinions and raise objections based on the draft EIA report prepared by experts for any project. The major change proposed from the existing regulations is the removal of several activities from the purview of public consultation. A list of projects has been included under Category B2, expressly exempted from the requirement of an EIA (Clause 13, sub cl. 11).
Also, coal and non-coal mineral prospecting and solar photovoltaic projects do not need prior environmental clearance or permission in the new scheme,” NPYC stated.
It mentioned that India is improving its position in the World Banks Ease of Doing Business Index to rank 63 out of 190 countries in 2020, an improvement of 14 ranks compared to last year, and as far as the Yale University’s Global Environment Performance Index is concerned, India is ranked an extremely low at 168 out of 180 countries. In this regard, NPYC pointed out that it clearly shows the priority of the government was to help business by diluting environmental regulations and with serious consequences for the environment and the lives and livelihoods of those dependent on natural resources.
NPYC also stated that the rules in India, including EIA 2006, privileged the interests of the project proponent by whittling down public consultations, accepting flawed and faulty EIA reports resulting from ‘external influences, and ignoring the non-renewable nature of resources.’ It however claimed that the EIA 2020 deepened the impact of that paradigm. Instead of ensuring tighter regulations and strict monitoring and implementation, the new draft has weakened the whole process, it stated.
NPYC contended that EIA 2020 avoid various rulings made by the National Green Tribunal and courts, including the Supreme Court concerning environmental protection. It also maintained that the proposed changes are not guided by environmental concerns but by the concerns of corporates.
The most objectionable, according to NPYC was the concerns of Adivasis, who are going to be the most affected community due to the dilution of environment regulations, do not form any part of the notification in the entire document. It claimed that the words Adivasi, tribal, Gram sabha, Forest Rights Act, Fifth Schedule, Sixth Schedule, PESA were not mentioned.
It also claimed that according to the changes proposed, the ministry has the sole right for appointment of the Expert Appraisal Committee at the central and state level as well as other important technical committee. It added that even in the case of state-level EIAACs, the union ministry retains the right to constitution of those committees.
It, therefore, stated that appointment of members of such committees cannot be the sole prerogative of the ministry. NPYC felt that a more impartial method of selection of members of various committees is required with inclusion of women, of members of scheduled caste and tribe who have the requisite qualification.
According to NPYC, the draft notification is a pro-corporate agenda of the central government in the name of development. It added that people’s interests or concerns for protection of the environment are not the concern of Draft EIA 2020. It went on to state that the draft notification would only give license for ‘wrong-doing and blatant violations.’
While demanding the government to withdraw the draft notification, NPYC has suggested redrafting by taking the opinion of all stakeholders in the interests of the environment, the people and the country.