New Delhi: Over 50 students from universities across the country jointly sent a letter to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC), demanding that the passage of the Environment Impact Assessment 2020 notification be put on hold.
The students are from Delhi, Karnataka, Maharashtra, Assam, Telangana, West Bengal, Punjab, Goa, Puducherry, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Odisha, Gujarat, and Andhra Pradesh.
They are demanding that the passage of EIA 2020 be put on hold. The students want it to be implemented only after getting altered as per the recommendations of environmental experts to lead India into a green recovery.
Students from Ashoka University, JNUSU, IISER, Jain University, Jindal Global Law School, Youth4Swaraj and AISA signed the letter which has been sent to the Environment Ministry led by Minister Prakash Javadekar, addressing their concerns regarding the new EIA Draft Notification 2020.
"We should use the EIA to bring India out of the COVID-19 pandemic as an environmentally aware country through a green recovery. While economic revival is a national priority, this should be done without compromising the environment and society, as in the long run, it is our natural ecosystem which will support us," said Anjali Dalmia, Environment Ministry lead in Ashoka University.
Read: Opening space sector will enable India to play important role in global space economy: ISRO Chief
The students contended that the current amendments to the EIA pose a serious threat to the environment and society.
"It will give a free reign to several businesses and destructive industries such as mining and construction. Mumbai's Aarey forest was cleared to build a metro shed despite massive protests. Visakhapatnam's LG Polymers caused a gas leak on May 7. Assam's Baghjan gas leak is another recent example. Land was cleared to extend the ports in Goa regardless of protests in 2016. Despite the obvious improvement of rivers and lowered pollution levels during the lockdown period, the MOEFCC is still approving destructive projects," said Taanika Shankar, a member of the Sustainability Committee at Azim Premji University UG.
The new EIA Draft Notification intends to bring in controversial amendments such as post-facto grant of approval, exemption of several large industries from public hearings, permission for industries to submit just one compliance report a year rather than two, increased validity of the environment clearances for mining projects and river valley projects, among others.
"As citizens of this great country and current stakeholders, we have many reasons to care about our environment. As we emerge from COVID-19, we need to make a choice about what kind of India we wish to live in. Our youth have decided to grow up on a land which has thriving forests and clean rivers, a balanced economy that places importance on sustainability and communities, and a system of policy-making that promotes dialogue with the citizens of India,” the letter read.
Read: Assam flood situation grim; 1 more dead, 38,000 affected
