SHILLONG: Voice against the central government’s controversial draft notification on Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) seems to be growing louder. After KSU and other NGOs flagged the concern that the notification was detrimental to the interest of the tribes, political parties have begun to take up the cudgel.
On Monday, Congress aired its concern while PDF, the ruling coalition partner, wrote to Union Minister for Environment Prakash Javadekar communicating their disapproval of the draft notification.
Congress MP Vincent Pala described that notification as an election agenda of the BJP government. “The government of India does not think about what is going to happen in another two or three terms of the election. In the name of ease of doing business, you cannot sacrifice or compromise the future generation”, he said.
He feared that a heavy price will be paid as it will spoil the environment in this generation leaving the future generation in want. He added that the Congress central leadership has written to the union minister on the EIA.
Giving an example of coal, Pala said that normally India said that 600 million tonnes is domestic production and more than 100 million tonnes is from import. “The government wants to minimise the gap and want to have total production in the country and the ease of doing business”, he said.
PDF meets CM
The PDF has submitted its views on the draft EIA notification 2020 on the EIA draft to the Union Minister of Environment and Forests, Prakash Javadekar and the Secretary and Joint Secretary of the ministry.
In a statement issued here, the general secretary of the party, Auspicious Lyngdoh Mawlong said that the party felt the need to voice out its disagreement and express deep concern with the features of the notification mention as these can have a negative impact on the cultural and unique lifestyle of the indigenous people of the state.
The party stated that many provisions of this notification would lead to irreversible damage to the environment which can have a catastrophic impact on the health and survival of the general public as well as the immense Biodiversity of the state since Meghalaya is also a part of the Indo- Burma Biodiversity Hotspot of the world.
On Monday, the party members consisting of the four MLAs, the chairman and the general secretary met the chief minister to express its deepest concern on the draft notification with a request to urge the ministry to consider for re-evaluation and reassessment of the draft EIA notification 2020 as it can contradict with the traditional customs and practices of the indigenous people of the state.
The party maintained that most sustainable development cannot be achieved without integrating environmental aspects in the state’s policies and programmes.