K’taka HC asks Centre not to notify EIA draft

nNEWDELHI/BENGALURU:THE Karnataka high court has directed the Centre against notifying the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA), 2020, notification till September 7 as it was not publicized in local languages. A bench of Chief Justice Abhay Shreeniwas Oka and justice Ashok S Kinagi passed the interim order on Wednesday on a United Conservation Movement’s plea, which sought extension of time to file objections to the draft notification, published in English and Hindi, till December 31.

In New Delhi, Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar on Thursday said the draft has not been finalized yet as the public consultation is still underway and the process of finalization may take more time. He said this in a letter to former environment minister Jairam

Ramesh.

“I have taken note of your suggestions and objections to the Draft EIA notification, 2020 and your suggestions and objections along with other suggestions and objections received from stakeholders will be considered on merit before finalizing the notification,” wrote Javadekar.

On Ramesh’s concerns that the draft EIA notification would lead to ex-post facto approval to the cases involving violations, Javadekar said previous actions resulting in violations will be made liable to stringent action.

In a tweet, Javadekar also said: “Today morning only I had sent you a detailed response to your July 25, 2020 letter, which was delivered at your residence office, still you chose to write this letter and make it public through twitter...”

The high court has restrained the Centre from finalizing the draft unless wide publicity was given to it in local languages.