Kottakkal: The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 issued by the central government despite the frequent occurrences of natural calamities and industrial tragedies is raising concerns among states. 

The last date for the public to express their complaints and disagreements with the new draft, which is issued cancelling the notification of 2016, ends on Tuesday. The email ID to submit suggestions - eia2020-moefcc@gov.in

EIA is a study regarding a project's impacts on the environment. It involves the environment impact assessment study and seeking public opinion ahead of constructing mines, irrigation projects, industrial units, large buildings, national highways and waste processing units. The major change in the new draft is the removal of many projects from the phase of seeking public opinion.

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Excavation of oil and natural gas in sea and land, hydroelectric power projects below 25 megawatt, mineral mines, furnace units, cement factory, acid and paint manufacturing factory and NH development between 25-100 kilometres were removed from the new draft. As per the condition in the new notification, no information regarding the projects related to national security need to be provided to the public.

No Environment Impact Assessment

The new draft also includes conditions to start projects without obtaining clearance after environment impact assessment and later develop the projects after getting the clearance. The Supreme Court had pointed out on April 1, 2020, that this permission is against the rules.

Also, the number of reports to be submitted by the project owners to the department that assess the environmental impact has been reduced to one in a year. This will affect industrial safety. The Union Ministry of Environment had made it clear in the Green Tribunal that the LG Polymers in Visakhapatnam did not have renewed environmental clearance when it faced a tragedy.

The constructions in 1.5 lakh square metre area of land was removed from the environmental restrictions. This was mere 20,000 square metre earlier. Also the public cannot raise complaints regarding environmental pollution caused by industrial projects, as per the new draft. Though a relaxation of rule was implemented in 2016 regarding construction works, the Green Tribunal cancelled it.