Assam govt ready to discuss Opp proposal on EIA Notification

AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam raised the issue of the draft EIA Notification 2020 in the House and said it will take away farm lands from farmers for setting up industries. The draft EIA Notification 2020 has witnessed protests from many quarters in Assam primarily due to exemption of public consultation for many projects falling in 'Border Areas', which is defined as an area falling within 100 km aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control with countries bordering India.

Assam government Thursday said it is willing to discuss the opposition's proposal urging the Centre to reconsider the draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020. AIUDF MLA Rafiqul Islam raised the issue of the draft EIA Notification 2020 in the House and said it will take away farm lands from farmers for setting up industries.

The draft EIA Notification 2020 has witnessed protests from many quarters in Assam primarily due to exemption of public consultation for many projects falling in 'Border Areas', which is defined as an area falling within 100 km aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control with countries bordering India. This provision has practically brought most of Assam and the rest of North East region under the 'Border Area' category.

"Many groups are opposing the EIA and they have valid logic. The public opinion clause for border areas has been abolished. Now in Assam, most of the areas fall under this category. So ultimately farm lands will go to industries," Islam said. The state, he said, has already lost lakhs of hectares due to erosion and if agriculture land is made available to industries, then the farm sector will not develop at all.

"Can we send a resolution from the Assembly to the Centre requesting them to reconsider the EIA?" the opposition member asked. Responding to the suggestion, state Agriculture Minister Atul Bora said: "What the legislator is saying is not untrue.

We can discuss it later by bringing the matter properly." The draft EIA Notification 2020 seeks to supersede and completely replace the EIA Notification 2006 along with several amendments made since then. It seeks to bring in controversial amendments such as post-facto grant of approval, exemption of several large industries from public hearings and reducing the time for public consultation to 40 days from 45 days.

It also proposes to permit industries to submit just one compliance report a year rather than two along with increased validity of the environment clearances for mining and river valley projects..