SHILLONG: Several environmentalists and NGOs on Saturday expressed their concern over the manner in which environment impact assessment (EIA) and public hearings are being conducted by the Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board (MSPCB) for setting up cement plants in the State.
The environmentalists and NGOs made the assertion during an interactive session organized in the city for the role and function of the National Green Tribunal.
The stakeholders were of the view that the National Green Tribunal must intervene into the matter even as they stressed on the need to re-strategize and change the ways these public hearings and EIAs are conducted.
Naba Bhattacharjee, chairman, Meghalaya People’s Environment Rights Forum (MPERF) while terming public hearings as a ‘big shame’ asserted that such hearings are taken only by raising hands by the people present in the meeting in support of any company which proposes to set up their plants in the State.
He also demanded that the trend of raising hands and voice support in favour of cement plants during public hearings should be done away with. Bhattacharjee urged that the present system of environment impact assessment, mainly public hearing system, should be reviewed and drastic changes introduced.
Some NGO members were apprehensive of the fact that ‘doubtful people’ attend the public hearings and sometimes they are not even the residents of the particular place.
However, former Meghalaya Chief Secretary and expert member of National Green Tribunal, Ranjan Chatterjee, made it clear that the Tribunal would not like to involve itself as the issue is a ‘state affair’.
Later, during the interactive session, many questions were raised on the cement plants in Jaintia Hills who are accused of violating provisions of the Forest Conservation Act.
A lawyer, who was present during the interaction, questioned why the Government is reluctant to take action against other cement companies while it is leaving no stone unturned in taking suitable action against Lafarge.
The Meghalaya State Pollution Control Board assured that penalty would be imposed on the cement companies once the court issues its judgment on a pending writ petition.
“Same penalty would be imposed on these cement companies once the court issues its judgment on the writ petition filed by social organizations of the State,” Chairman of the MSPCB asserted.
Issues concerning rat hole mining, drilling of underground water sources besides water pollution were also deliberated and discussed at the interactive session.
Earlier, Ranjan Chatterjee, in his introductory address, outlined the role of the National Green Tribunal, notified in 2010, of being an appellate tribunal in substantial question of law.
He emphasized that normal course of redress for any case of environment violation needs to be first taken up with State authorities before approaching the Tribunal even as he cautioned that while the Tribunal is more flexible in access, proper documentation, study report and evidence has to be furnished for admittance within six months of occurrence of the violation/environment denigrating activity.
The interactive session was also attended by Principal Chief Conservator of forests, TTC Marak, Chairman of MSPCB, M Allya, and representatives of Universities, Colleges, Civil Society organizations, NGOs and concerned individuals including the media fraternity.