The Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2020, is ‘anti-democratic’ and ‘fascist in nature’, said senior Congress leader Jairam Ramesh at a webinar organised by the Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Development Studies in Kerala.
The former Union Minister for Environment said that the draft has exempted a large number of projects from environmental impact assessment.
"This draft environment notification is very anti-democratic. It's fascist in nature. It says the people affected by projects cannot complain to the government about environmental violations. Only government departments, government agencies can bring violation of environmental laws to the notice of the Central government," Ramesh said.
He said that there was no place for local communities, NGOs, civil society bodies, social activists or political representatives and described it as "deeply anti-democratic".
The draft EIA notification, which involves the procedure of issuing environmental clearances to various projects, was issued by the Environment Ministry in March this year and has received thousands of suggestions from the public.
Jairam Ramesh said that the draft has reduced the period for public hearings on projects from 30 to 20 days.
"Large number of projects have been exempted from the environment impact assessment... The draft EIA notification is both anti-health and anti-democracy," he said.
Former Kerala Chief Minister Oommen Chandy, who also took part in the webinar, demanded that the draft be published in all local languages and the opinion of the public be sought in the matter.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan earlier said that the state is concerned about the changes proposed by the EIA Draft 2020, related to mining and quarrying permits. It will have far-reaching adverse effects in the state, he said. Pinarayi Vijayan said that environmental clearance should be mandatory when mining and quarrying are done on more than two hectares of land. Existing norms can continue for smaller quarries, the CM said.
(With PTI inputs)
Watch: Why is there so much opposition to the draft EIA?