IYC protests near Javadekar's residence over EIA draft

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Wednesday protested near the residence of Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar against the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020.

The Indian Youth Congress (IYC) on Wednesday protested near the residence of Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar against the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020. The protestors were detained by police.

A member of IYC said that the draft EIA is being opposed by various sections of society. Congress has opposed the draft EIA 2020 and demanded its withdrawal with party leader Rahul Gandhi terming it "disgraceful and dangerous".

He said that it could reverse many of the hard-fought gains that have been won over the years in the battle to protect our environment and potentially unleash "widespread environmental destruction and mayhem" across India. Gandhi said a Facebook post on Monday that if labelled "strategic", highly polluting industries such as coal mining and other mineral mining will no longer require Environmental Impact Assessment.

"Neither will highways or railway lines passing through dense forests and other eco-sensitive areas, that will result in the massive hacking down of trees, leading to the destruction of habitats of thousands of endangered species. And then this terrible idea: Environment Impact Assessment can be given post facto! That is, EIA can be done after a project has already destroyed the environment," Gandhi said. Party leader Shashi Tharoor has also urged Javadekar to withdraw the draft in its current form immediately. (ANI)