TURA: The Congress in Garo Hills has raised the pitch opposing the recent draft on the environment cleared by the central government accusing the Centre of stripping the protection to forests and environment which had been in place for decades in the country.
Bringing into limelight the Modi government’s recent Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) draft notification 2020 or EIA 2020, the Congress has accused the central government of weakening the decades-old rules and regulations that have been in place to safeguard the country’s forest and environment from the perils of exploitation with the introduction of the new policy.
“Stop the dismantling of our environment rules. The EIA draft 2020 is a means to pollution. Its sole agenda is the promotion of industrialisation and destruction of the environment,” protested the Congress members.
Calling upon the public to oppose the EIA 2020, the Congress termed the draft as the looting of the nation.
“Save North East and Meghalaya by withdrawing the EIA. The government must stop dismantling India’s environmental regulations,” demanded members of the youth congress, who joined the protest against the EIA 2020.
The opposition to the new draft is because there are major departures from the existing regulations, which include removal of several activities from the purview of public consultation. A list of projects included under category B2 is expressly exempted from the requirement of an EIA.
Some of the projects that fall under the category which gets exempted from an EIA requirement include onshore and off shore oil, gas and shall exploration, hydroelectric projects up to 25 MW and coal and non coal mineral prospecting that will no longer require prior environmental clearance in the new scheme, it is alleged.
The draft EIA notification was issued by the Environment Ministry in March and public suggestions were invited.