Has the present pandemic Covid – 19 outbreak presented an opportunity for law makers, environmentalist and industrialists to team up and protect the Nature and public. Mankind has always manipulated the natural environment just to ensure that its needs are better suited to availability of infrastructural for industrial, residential and commercial purposes. The rapid development has generated many environmental disasters and risks. Take the instance of Bhopal gas tragedy (1986). To overcome such increasing and deadly environmental disasters, MOEF under environmental protection act launcheed EIA (1986). The EIA (1986) no doubt is the Base and Heart for environmental protection and conservation. The purpose of EIA (Environmental impact Assessment) process is to inform decision makers and the public of the environmental consequences in implementing a proposed project. The EIA itself is a technical tool that identifies, predicts and analyses impact on the physical environment as well as social, cultural and health impacts of a proposed project. After a detailed EIA process if the project fulfils the criteria then the experts give it a green signal and if not then they reject the project. We don’t need more man-made dieters that’s why EIA draft 2020 needs to be challenged. We all are facing corona virus pandemic which is related to environmental destruction and which takes away thousands of human lives. But more than that we are facing a lot of other deadly environmental diesters that probably is the creation of mankind. In recant (2020) Vishakhapatnam LG polymer gas leak tragedy, almost 11 people was killed in pre-dawn disaster as styrene gas leaked from the Vizag plant. In the same month later there was a big oil and gas blow out in Bhaghjan oil well explosion in Assam and not only did the oil and gas destroyed a lot of biodiversity, but also triggered fire. Jammu and Kashmir were declared as one of the most polluted cities and it happened due the illegal operation of hundreds of brick kilns, cement factories and stone crushers, which have not gone through the proper EIA process and also don’t have all the clearances and the impacts are disturbing the common masses and the environment. Such disasters throw up a question that whether we can avoid such types of disasters by such big human made projects and the answer is yes if such projects have gone through the detailed EIA process.In India, MOEF is planning to replace an existing EIA law which needs our urgent attention.
It was in 1986, when govt. implemented environmental protection Act (1986) as a tool to protect the environment and the people. As a part of this act every proposed project both small and large has to submit a report called EIA report for getting environmental clearances. It evaluates all the possible impacts of a proposed project on the environment and the committee. It covers projects like mines, infrastructure, thermal and nuclear power plants and industrial projects. It analyses all the impacts of a proposed project on the forests, animals and people. Then after a detailed EIA they decide whether the project is safe for the environment and to the community surrounding it. Accordingly, the permits are granted or denied by the expert committee. But the MOEF is planning to weaken the existing EIA law (1986) with the new EIA draft (2020) which can leave serious impacts on the environment, biodiversity and the people in the near future. The new EIA draft 2020 is totally in favour of capitalists. The new EIA draft is anti-people and anti-environment proposal. The new draft is considered disastrous and a‘Death sentence’ to the nature due to many reasons.
1. The EIA draft 2020 allows post- facto clearances of projects meaning you can start a project without EIA.
2. Modernisation or irrigation projects, all building constructions and area development projects, expansion and widening of national highways all projects concerning national defence and security or part of the list does not need public hearing an important part of EIA process.
3. The authorities were earlier mandated to monitor projects for compliance with environment norms after every six months. It has now been proposed to relax the monitoring frequency to once a year.
4. Those projects which the government categorizes as ‘STRATEGIC’ can bypass whole EIA process and run without facing any question from the public.
5. Projects heaving an area up to 1,50,000 sq. m. can skip the detailed scrutiny by the expert committee, EIA studies and public consultation is not necessary for these projects. The people cannot report or oppose a project even if they are affected by it.
6. Mangroves and other sensitive costal areas will be opened for construction activities like ports and industries. It impacts about 20,000 aquatic animals.
7. Post – Facto clearances, even if a project is setup illegally without EIA clearance, the new draft grants them permit to run. This draft is very disastrous for environment, and the people, because already we have hundreds of illegal deadly projects run without EIA clearances. Basically, this EIA draft (2020) puts profit over the planet.
8. Many farmers, villagers and tribal populations become jobless and homeless without any scope for objections and their lands could be grabbed for setting up industrial plants. The post- monitoring clearances process in the new Draft EIA will be used to see if the rules have been adhered to by the industrial, infrastructural units or not. I am shocked to see the new rule in the New EIA process, which cooperate would setback after spending huge amount of money on their projects and how exactly they think this process will help to regain the lost green patch or cover.
We are living in a country where environment disastrous happen all the time. 6 out of 10 most polluted cities in the world are in India; still the govt. does not care for the nature. We need to strengthen our laws to make sure that we as a responsible citizen, Society are part of a robust democracy that cares about its citizens and the environment, we should be able to understand what we are making before we make it. We don’t need more man-made disasters. Therefore, the present draft 2020 needs to be challenged on keeping the core provision of doing an EIA before a project comes up and not having any projects coming up without proper EIA. It’s time to realise that development is must but not an extremely high cost of our environment. The ministry has asked for public opinion for regarding new EIA draft 2020 and the deadline is August 11, 2020. Raise your voice until it’s too late.
(The author is an environment specialist. Views are his own)
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