GUWAHATI: Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Legislative Assembly, Debabrata Saikia has sought the intervention of Union environment minister Prakash Javadekar to bring to a halt all ongoing drilling and mining operations in the eco-sensitive zones of Assam.
The senior Congress leader shot off a letter to the Union minister requesting him to stop mining activities in eco-sensitive zones pending a thorough review by neutral experts as to whether environmental concerns have been properly addressed.
“Contrary to your assurances, the government of India is now seeking to ease environmental protection norms by means of the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020. This proposed law is objectionable and, in its present form, should be scrapped as it paves the way for post-facto clearance of projects in eco-sensitive zones,” Saikia wrote in the letter to Javadekar.
“In fact, private companies concerned can even prepare their own EIA reports by engaging private consultants. This is extremely dangerous for Assam and the Northeast in general in view of the damage which has been already caused by mining/drilling operations in the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park/Biosphere Reserve and Dehing-Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary areas,” the letter to the minister, read.
Saikia alleged that the BJP-led government in Assam was “pursuing a policy of putting environmental concerns in the back burner”, citing an instance of an influential person constructing a resort with a private road in the middle of one of the nine identified animal corridors at Kaziranga National Park.
“This is in complete violation of the Supreme Court order dated December 11, 2018, which declared a 10-km ‘eco-sensitive zone’ pertaining to Kaziranga National Park. The apex court had also directed in April last year that no construction activity should be allowed even in private land in the nine identified animal corridors of the national park,” he pointed out.
Moreover, the state government, Saikia said, partially implemented an order passed by Gauhati High Court in 2016 for eviction of illegal settlements in and around the Kaziranga National Park.
“Around 300 poor families were evicted but others, including resort owners, have not been touched so far,” he stated.
“Similarly, Gauhati High Court had passed another order in October last year on the basis of my PIL and asked the state government to set up a ‘Mines and Minerals Task Force Battalion’ by the third week of January this year to stop illegal mining activities. However, the state government has ignored that order as well,” he alleged.
The Opposition leader further requested the minister to direct the state government to immediately enforce orders passed by apex court and high court in connection with the protection of environment and wildlife.