Govt of India seeking to reduce transparency, slash accountability, 'dismantle' regulations

By Our Representative
Scholars and activists speaking at a high-profile webinar on the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2020, have expressed concern that, while India has seen a consistent hike in the World Bank’s Ease of Doing Business ranking from 142nd (2014) to 63rd position in 2019, during the same time period, saw “successive downturn” in the rank from 155th (2014) to 168th (2019) position on the Environmental Performance Index (EPI).
Organized by the Impact and Policy Research Institute (IMPRI), New Delhi, the TERI School of Advanced Studies (TERI SAS), New Delhi, and the India Water Portal as media partner, speakers at the virtual meet said, ranking at the Global Climate Risk Index 2020 also suggests, India is the fifth most vulnerable country as far as climate change is concerned.
Dr D Raghunandan, former president, All India People’s Science Network, said that the notification seeks to bypass the rulings of judicial bodies in a de jure manner, adding, the draft has gone in for a wholesale reclassification of projects as A, B1 and B2 where large numbers of projects have been placed under B2 category under which no approval or public hearing is required.
According to Dr Raghunandan, post facto clearance is the most egregious provision of the draft EIA 2020, and it goes against the rulings of Supreme Court and National Green Tribunal. The draft marks a big shift to centralised environmental process where even the State Impact Assessment Authority is constituted by the Centre. This has reduced transparency and slashed accountability, dismantling environment regulations.
Sucharita Sen, professor, Centre for the study of Regional Development, School of Social Sciences, Jawaharlal Nehru University, New Delhi, said that the draft EIA 2020 has made significant dent in the social contract made by the state with its citizens to protect their lives and livelihood, adding, it also violates the Environmental Protection Act, 1986 which pledges to protect and improve the environment.”
Pointing out that the days of public hearing have been reduced from 30 to 20 days, Prof Sen regretted, this suggests the draft doesn’t empower citizens to file violations and non-compliance reports, and this watering down has happened when 99.9 percent of violation cases are brought to authorities by citizens and action groups, she added.
Also objecting to post facto approvals of environmental clearance, she said, this provision pre-empts the possibility of rejection and enhances the industry’s right to pay for violations and get away with whatever it does.
Leo Saldanha, founding trustee and coordinator, Environment Support Group, Bangalore, said that till 1997, public hearing was not mandatory and environmental approvals were based at the discretion of administration. However, the 1997 EIA notification marked the beginning of democratization of environmental clearances.

Ashish Kothari, founder-member, Kalpavriksh, Pune, said that environmental regulatory regime in India has always been very weak, and environment has been considered nominal when compared to the notion of development. We have to challenge the notion of development at any cost. It is necessary to rethink about development, progress or wellbeing in the ambit of environmental ecosystem and we need to relearn from indigenous people to respect the environment, he added.
Dr Walter Fernandes, director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati, said that the draft paves the way for centralisation of power by “streamlining” the people who are the real stakeholders of the environment by refusing to given a chance to participate and report their concerns, insisting , a weak EIA demands massive mobilisation of people against the draft.
Others who participated in the webinar included Prof Kamna Sachdeva, head of the department and associate professor, Department of Energy and Environment, TERI; Madhu Sarin, environmentalist and land rights activist, Campaign for Survival and Dignity; Ajit Kumar Singh, additional district and sessions judge, Bihar; Brajesh Kumar Dubey, associate professor, Department of Civil Engineering, Indian Institute of Technology (IIT), Kharagpur; Sara Suresh, student of the Symbiosis Law School, Pune; and Dr Arjun Kumar, director, IMPRI.

Comments

Modi win may force Pak to put Kashmir on backburner, resume trade ties with India

By Salman Rafi Sheikh* When Narendra Modi returned to power for a second term in India with a landslide victory in 2019, his government acted swiftly. Just months after the election, the Modi government abrogated Article 370 of the Constitution of India. In doing so, it stripped the special constitutional status conferred on Jammu and Kashmir, India’s only Muslim-majority state, and downgraded its status from a state with its own elected assembly to a union territory administered by the central government in Delhi.

Tyre cartel's monopoly: Farmers' groups seek legal fight for better price for raw rubber

By Our Representative The All India Kisan Sabha and the Kerala Karshaka Sangham that represents the largest rubber producing state of Kerala along with rubber farmers have sought intervention against the monopoly tyre companies that have formed a cartel against the interests of consumers and farmers. Vijoo Krishnan, AIKS General Secretary, Valsan Panoli, Kerala Karshaka Sangham General Secretary, and four farmers representing different rubber growing regions of Kerala have filed an intervention application in the Supreme Court.

A Hindu alternative to Valentine's Day? 'Shiv-Parvati was first love marriage in Universe'

By Rajiv Shah* The other day, I was searching on Google a quote on Maha Shivratri which I wanted to send to someone, a confirmed Shiv Bhakt, quite close to me -- with an underlying message to act positively instead of being negative. On top of the search, I chanced upon an article in, imagine!, a Nashik Corporation site which offered me something very unusual.

Urban Naxal to Amit Shah, AAP Bharuch candidate tops ADR's Gujarat criminal cases list

By Rajiv Shah Refusing to go beyond the data released by the Election Commission of India (ECI) on the Lok Sabha candidates’ own declarations of their criminal record, educational qualification and assets, the Association of Democratic Reforms (ADR), a top-notch advocacy group, has declared Aam Aadmi Party candidate Chaitar Vasava, 35, having the highest number of criminal cases of all those fighting the electoral battle on 26 seats in Gujarat.

Magnetic, stunning, Protima Bedi 'exposed' malice of sexual repression in society

By Harsh Thakor* Protima Bedi was born to a baniya businessman and a Bengali mother as Protima Gupta in Delhi in 1949. Her father was a small-time trader, who was thrown out of his family for marrying a dark Bengali women. The theme of her early life was to rebel against traditional bondage. It was extraordinary how Protima underwent a metamorphosis from a conventional convent-educated girl into a freak. On October 12th was her 75th birthday; earlier this year, on August 18th it was her 25th death anniversary.

As inequality afflicts voters, Ambanis seem 'happily honest' flexing economic power

By Sonali Kolhatkar* There are several exercises in extremes playing out in India right now. Nearly a billion people are voting in elections that will last into early June, braving record-high temperatures to cast ballots. Against this backdrop, Asia’s richest man, Mukesh Ambani , is throwing what will likely be the world’s most expensive wedding for his youngest son.

Climate crisis: Modi-led BJP 'refraining from phasing out coal production, emissions'

By Our Representative Civil society groups have released a charter of demands for securing climate justice and moving towards a just transition, demanding review and reframing of India’s Climate Action Policy Framework. The charter says that while the daily summer temperature in the country has already begin to roar sky high, millions of people in India are heading to the booths to cast their vote in this scorching heat. The everyday impacts of extreme weather events, a result of the climate crisis, has become alarmingly threatening.

Congress manifesto: Delving deep into core concepts related to equity, social justice?

By Prof RR Prasad* The deafening current clamor on one of the agenda items of the 2024 Congress Party Election Manifesto has made common people to ponder whether ideologies like social justice and equity could become conundrum and contentious manifestations of some organization's vision and mission.

Why India 'lacks' decommissioning policy for ageing, unviable, eco-destructive dams

By Parineeta Dandekar* The recently-concluded World Fisheries Congress in Seattle in March 2024 discussed several themes relating to the health of our rivers, dependent communities and fish. Of the several interesting sessions, the symposium on ‘Dam Removal as a River Restoration Tool at the Water-Energy-Food Nexus’ was of particular interest. I was simultaneously at two parallel sessions and hence was unable to attend some of the presentations but have tried to provide an overview of the presentations and discussions, in addition to the session where I presented a paper.

River's existence 'under threat': Ken-Betwa inter-linking to degrade catchment areas

By Bhim Singh Rawat* Ken is lifeline of Bundelkhand and among key tributaries of Lower Yamuna basin. The river is relatively clean and free of industrial pollution. However, its existence is under threat due to catchment degradation and the proposed Ken-Betwa interlinking proposal. Apart from this, the river eco-system and dependent people have been at receiving end of large scale mechanized and unsustainable, mostly illegal mining practices for the past many years.

Search This Blog