Activists have come out on Twitter against the latest draft of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020.
The latest draft of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 is going to replace the EIA notification 2006 that regulates the environment clearance given by the national government for projects such as dams, mining, thermal power plants, infrastructure projects like highways, ports, airport and big construction projects.
In it, it seeks to legitimise projects that have violated environment clearance norms by giving them a chance for post-facto approvals as long as that project is permissible in the area.
Cases of violation of the norms would include those where projects either start the construction or excavation or undertake expansion without prior environment clearance.
The draft EIA 2020 has come under criticism from environmentalists and activists on Twitter.
According to activists, the EIA notification is important for environmental protection, public health and workers’ safety. It is appalling that the Ministry has proposed to dilute the notification and seek public comments in the midst of the COVID 19 emergency.
Tanmay Shinde, an environmentalist from Mumbai said, “EIA is crucial for us to sustain the fight with climate change. Mainly industries account for major carbon footprint, air, and water pollution. EIA is needed for us to get clean air to breathe, clean water, good yield in agriculture. Industries do impact the surrounding with the emissions and effluents which are often discharged near the water bodies. EIA involves the analysis of all these activities impacting the surrounding ecosystems”
