Green and Red

Context: The Union Minister of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has invited public comments on the draft of EIA.

Significance of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)

• It is a part of the Environmental Protection Act, 1986, and was last revised in 2006. 
• Access, utilisation and affect natural resources fall under its purview.
• Framed as a social safeguard: The regulatory regime was framed as a social safeguard to recognise the economic and cultural significance of the land sought by developers.

Issues in the 2020 Draft of EIA 

• Neglect of public consultation process has raised important concerns about the environmental regulatory regime. 
• Poor cannot travel a long distance between the project site and the district headquarters for the public consultation process. – Gujarat High Court’s observations in Centre for Social Justice vs Union of India.
• The period of the public hearing has been reduced from 30 days to 20 days. 
• Minutes of the public hearing are either not recorded or not given to the concerned persons.
• The legitimisation of violations by developers who begin projects without obtaining due clearances.
• Exemptions to projects that have environmental benefits like renewable energy parks.
• Such projects involve diversion of agricultural lands and have a bearing on people’s livelihoods. 

Conclusion: The final EIA draft must do justice to the complex relations between environment, development and local communities that the public consultation process has brought to light.