‘Nothing disturbing in the clauses of draft EIA 2020’
NEWDELHI:THE environment ministry has been swamped by nearly 200,000 objections to and comments on the draft environment impact assessment (EIA) notification of 2020, but doesn’t intend to hold further discussion on the concerns raised in the feedback it received. RP Gupta, secretary in the environment ministry, told in an interview that the priority for the ministry is both EIA notification and a notification on monitoring and compliance of projects with environmental clearance conditions, which is being drafted. Excerpts:
Jayashree Nandi How will you read so many comments on draft EIA 2020 and how will the responses be incorporated in the final draft?
We have formed a committee to sort out all the mails. They are sorting issues not looking at each mail. Almost 95% of the 17 to 18 lakh emails we have got are repetitive mails.
Why do you think there was such a massive outcry against draft EIA 2020? What is so contentious about clauses?
I don’t think there is anything disturbing in the clauses. You are right about political issues. Maybe it has nothing to do with an environmental agenda, but more to do with a political agenda.
Why does the environment ministry see draft EIA 2020 as an important regulation?
We must see it in an overall context rather than looking at it in isolation. We are a country that takes a lot of time in issuing environmental clearances. We have poor enforcement and monitoring of projects. No amount of scrutiny can substitute for the monitoring. You can scrutinize a project for 5 to 6 years and delay it but if you don’t monitor it, then it will remain environmentally unfriendly. We need to switch this equation. We should be quick in giving clearances. There should be very strict and regular monitoring and we should come down heavily on non-compliance. This notification is only the first part. We are developing a monitoring mechanism, which will be the second part. To discourage violations, the best way is to ensure fast tracking of clearances.
But the draft is talking about regularizing these violations.
Post-facto scenario happens when someone has started a project without taking prior approval, which is the norm.
So if an industry is in violation, what is the punishment? There is nothing in law which says you will not appraise it on merit. After appraisal, if you find a project cannot be approved then you close it down. If it can be approved, approval will be effective from the date we give approval. For the past period which is a violation, a penalty is to be imposed as per law.
Will there be any space for discussion on draft EIA 2020?
Concerns will be considered on merit. There is no requirement for discussion. That will open another Pandora’s Box. Then nothing will happen in future. Everything can be stifled.