Central Vista: Activists protest 'continued misuse' of environment clearance norms

Counterview Desk
Protesting against “repeated misuse” of procedures of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2006, while clearing New Delhi’s Central Vista Redevelopment Project, and “failure” of the Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC)-Infra 2 to carry out mandatory detailed project scrutiny, citing agenda item No 56.3.14 (click here), India’s environmentalists have said that not only was the “iconic” Parliament building delinked from the need for detailed examination, a similar approach is now been proposed for the rest of the Central Vista project.
A draft letter – prepared by environmentalists, and addressed to T Haque, chairman, EAC (Infra-2), Ministry of Environment and Forests, Government of India – forwarded by Gujarat-based senior activist Rohit Prajapati to Counterview, regrets, the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) want oddly sought revision of Terms of Reference (ToR) for this. The letter seeks signatures from concerned citizens across India.

Text:

We are shocked to learn that the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA) and the Central Public Works Department (CPWD) has once again approached the EAC (Infra-2) seeking an amendment of the Terms of Reference (ToR) granted to it, to accommodate, in hindsight, other components of the Central Vista Redevelopment Project.
The project proponents MoHUA and CPWD is encouraged by the leniency shown by the EAC Infra-2 as it has allowed for piecemeal approach to carry out mandatory environment impact assessment first by separating the Parliament building from the full project.

The environment clearance for the Parliament building was granted on June 17, 2020. The project proponent has once again indulged in the same approach while seeking an amendment the ToR granted on November 10, 2020, which is gross misuse of law.
This ToR was for ‘Development/Redevelopment of Common Central Secretariat Buildings and Central Conference Centre’ is being to be amended to include the “Prime Minister Office, Prime Minister's Residence, SPG and the Vice President Enclave.” It is ironic that the application for amending this ToR has been filed (November 11, 2020) on the very next day the first ToR was issued (on November 10, 2020).
Since early this year, several concerned citizens have repeatedly pointed out the misuse of law by the project proponents and lack of application of mind by the EAC while examining this project. This has also been widely reported in the mainstream media.

At present the judgment of the Supreme Court, where this piecemeal approach to obtain approvals and several other aspects of the Central Vista project are pending adjudication. But the EAC is completely failing in its duty to raise critical questions regarding the project proponent’s bending of environmental laws as it pleases.

Expert Appraisal Committee is failing in its duty to raise critical questions regarding the project proponent’s bending of environmental laws

As you would have already seen in newspapers, the same project proponents have also announced another component of this project, the New India Garden on the Yamuna floodplain. However, this has not been included in the application seeking amendment of the ToR.

We would like to strongly emphasise that this is yet another attempt to hide the interlinked nature of this project that comprises of the Parliament Building, the buildings of the Common Central Secretariat, the Raksha Bhawan, the Common Conference Centre, the Prime Minster Office, the Prime Minister's Residence, the SPG, and the Vice President's Enclave and the New India Garden.
It is absolutely unacceptable that instead of scrutinising the documents at the stage of vetting of the terms of reference, the EAC is overlooking extensive errors in the documentation. As an illustration, the Floor Area Ratio (FAR) achieved far exceeds the permissible FAR which makes the proposed development/redevelopment illegal.
We therefore demand that the EAC immediately:

Reject this application for ToR on the grounds that it is only one part of the larger Central Vista Redevelopment project is being once again pursued in a piecemeal and stand-alone manner.
Reject this application as several legal challenges related to Central Vista Redevelopment are pending before the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India.
Recall the recommendation to grant environment clearance dated June 17, 2020 for the Parliament expansion, the ToR for Common Central Secretariat dated November 10, 2020 as they were erroneously appraised based on false, incomplete and misleading information.

---
Copy of the letter proposed to the be sent to members of EAC (Infra-2), as also to RP Gupta, environment secretary, Government of India

Comments

From plagiarism to proxy exams: Galgotias and systemic failure in education

By Sandeep Pandey* Shock is being expressed at Galgotias University being found presenting a Chinese-made robotic dog and a South Korean-made soccer-playing drone as its own creations at the recently held India AI Impact Summit 2026, a global event in New Delhi. Earlier, a UGC-listed journal had published a paper from the university titled “Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis,” which became the subject of widespread ridicule. Following the robotic dog controversy coming to light, the university has withdrawn the paper. These incidents are symptoms of deeper problems afflicting the Indian education system in general. Galgotias merely bit off more than it could chew.

Covishield controversy: How India ignored a warning voice during the pandemic

Dr Amitav Banerjee, MD * It is a matter of pride for us that a person of Indian origin, presently Director of National Institute of Health, USA, is poised to take over one of the most powerful roles in public health. Professor Jay Bhattacharya, an Indian origin physician and a health economist, from Stanford University, USA, will be assuming the appointment of acting head of the Centre for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), USA. Bhattacharya would be leading two apex institutions in the field of public health which not only shape American health policies but act as bellwether globally.

The 'glass cliff' at Galgotias: How a university’s AI crisis became a gendered blame game

By Mohd. Ziyaullah Khan* “She was not aware of the technical origins of the product and in her enthusiasm of being on camera, gave factually incorrect information.” These were the words used in the official press release by Galgotias University following the controversy at the AI Impact Summit in Delhi. The statement came across as defensive, petty, and deeply insensitive.

Farewell to Saleem Samad: A life devoted to fearless journalism

By Nava Thakuria* Heartbreaking news arrived from Dhaka as the vibrant city lost one of its most active and committed citizens with the passing of journalist, author and progressive Bangladeshi national Saleem Samad. A gentleman who always had issues to discuss with anyone, anywhere and at any time, he passed away on 22 February 2026 while undergoing cancer treatment at Dhaka Medical College Hospital. He was 74.

Growth without justice: The politics of wealth and the economics of hunger

By Vikas Meshram* In modern history, few periods have displayed such a grotesque and contradictory picture of wealth as the present. On one side, a handful of individuals accumulate in a single year more wealth than the annual income of entire nations. On the other, nearly every fourth person in the world goes to bed hungry or half-fed.

From ancient wisdom to modern nationhood: The Indian story

By Syed Osman Sher South of the Himalayas lies a triangular stretch of land, spreading about 2,000 miles in each direction—a world of rare magic. It has fired the imagination of wanderers, settlers, raiders, traders, conquerors, and colonizers. They entered this country bringing with them new ethnicities, cultures, customs, religions, and languages.

Thali, COVID and academic credibility: All about the 2020 'pseudoscientific' Galgotias paper

By Jag Jivan* The first page image of the paper "Corona Virus Killed by Sound Vibrations Produced by Thali or Ghanti: A Potential Hypothesis" published in the Journal of Molecular Pharmaceuticals and Regulatory Affairs , Vol. 2, Issue 2 (2020), has gone viral on social media in the wake of the controversy surrounding a Chinese robot presented by the Galgotias University as its original product at the just-concluded AI summit in Delhi . The resurfacing of the 2020 publication, authored by Dharmendra Kumar , Galgotias University, has reignited debate over academic standards and scientific credibility.

Conversion laws and national identity: A Jesuit response response to the Hindutva narrative

By Rajiv Shah A recent book, " Luminous Footprints: The Christian Impact on India ", authored by two Jesuit scholars, Dr. Lancy Lobo and Dr. Denzil Fernandes , seeks to counter the current dominant narrative on Indian Christians , which equates evangelisation with conversion, and education, health and the social services provided by Christians as meant to lure -- even force -- vulnerable sections into Christianity.

Unpaid overtime, broken promises: Indian Oil workers strike in Panipat

By Rosamma Thomas Thousands of workers at the Indian Oil Corporation refinery in Panipat, Haryana, went on strike beginning February 23, 2026. They faced a police lathi charge, and the Central Industrial Security Force fired into the air to control the crowd.

Search This Blog