What is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) and Why Experts & Environmentalist are against EIA Draft 2020

What is Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA)?

EIA is key tool to ensure sustainable development & protection of our precious natural resources. The aim of EIA was to ensure the environment impact and to decide whether to stop or continue with the project. EIA begins with the impact assessment of river valley projects then enhanced to cover other developmental areas mining,thermal power projects and industries. There are certain guidelines to central and state government department for the collection of environmental data and preparation of plans. EIA not only consider environment but also take care of cultural, social and health impact on environment. 

WHY EIA?

In this 21^st century it is very important and useful tool to measure the complexity of environment and also other parameters like climate change, pollution and calamities are also concerned in EIA. In short it provides a study about both positive and negative impact on environment and during negative impacts it audits and ensure minimization of impacts and make the project environment friendly and acceptable to community. It is now very crucial that country like India should follow EIA for betterment of environment and human life balance.

Why Experts & Environmentalist are against EIA Draft 2020?

We all wanted to make the things harder so that our environment is sustained but what we got reverse of that, now it’s like you build what you want then we will check what you made.EIA draft 2020 clearly diminishes its scope and reduces its rigor and number of regulatory oversights from EIA in addition to that they also reclassified various industries so that they are nor required to get environmental clearance for the development/ construction. In short what we expected is to strengthen EIA 2016 but it is now made much easier.

 

Some of the Key Concerns regarding EIA draft 2020 are:

    1.    Post-facto environmental clearances:

EIA 2020 applies post-facto clearances which means a project which didn’t got environment clearance can be continued or processing can be done, no need to wait for prior clearance. Regions with high Bio diversity is going to be pay very high with this post facto clearances.

    2.    Public hearing process is subverted

According to EIA 2016 directly impacted citizens empowers to voice their opinions regarding new projects through mandatory public discussion. EIA 2020 lessen the effectiveness of this process by free from an obligation for various types of projects from having to conduct public hearing. 

3.    Major Industries are excluded from EIA process

With EIA 2020, EIAs scope is reduced, most worrying thing is the reclassification of industries. It reclassifies 40 types of project like clay extraction, manufacturing of solar PV, coal and non-coal mineral prospecting, and others are excluded from prior environment clearances. Also it says that only larger industries or constructions need to refer appraisal committee while small industries need not. This move is highly dangerous since construction is one of the most polluting industries.

4.    No scope for communities to report violations directly

It’s officially to report violation is with project developers and government authorities.