Student bodies demand govt to put on hold draft EIA notification

The draft notification intends to bring in controversial amendments such as post-facto grant of approval, exemption of several large industries from public hearings, permission for industries to submit just one compliance report a year rather than two, increased validity of the environment clearances for mining projects and river valley projects.

Nearly 50 student organisations across colleges and universities, including Jawaharlal Nehru University, have written to Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar against the Draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification 2020. Student unions, including AISA, JNUSU as well as youth groups and environmental clubs across several colleges have demanded the government put on hold the draft EIA Notification 2020 and rewrite as per the recommendations of green experts. The petition is led by Ashoka's University's Anjali Dalmia, a 20-year-old student and environmentalist from Pune.

The petition says that the draft notification poses a serious threat to the environment and society as it gives a free reign to several businesses and destructive industries such as mining and construction. The draft notification intends to bring in controversial amendments such as post-facto grant of approval, exemption of several large industries from public hearings, permission for industries to submit just one compliance report a year rather than two, increased validity of the environment clearances for mining projects and river valley projects. Taanika Shankar and Smruthi Ananth, members of the Sustainability Committee at Azim Premji University UG, pointed out that Mumbai's Aarey forest was cleared to build a metro shed despite massive protests. They cited examples of gas leak incidents at LG Polymers in Vizag and Baghjan in Assam to buttress the plea.

They pointed out that land was cleared to extend the ports in Goa regardless of protests in 2016. Despite the obvious improvement of rivers and lowered pollution levels during the lockdown period, the MOEFCC is still approving destructive projects, they added. The EIA notification provides the framework for India's environmental policy and institutes rules for environmental assessments and clearances. The EIA Notification 2020 seeks to supersede and completely replace the EIA Notifications 2006 along with all several amendments made since then..