New environmental impact assessment draft invitation to environmental disasters: BJGVJ 

Ludhiana: The Bharat Jan Gyan Vigyan Jatha (BJGVJ) has opposed in strong words the new draft of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This draft totally negates the gains of the hard struggle by the environmental groups who have been raising the issue of effect of environment on our health. We have seen in the past how the environmental damage has caused increase in the natural disasters like tsunami and also emergence of new diseases in the recent past. Whereas the world is concerned seriously with the environment, our government seems to have learnt no lesson even from the COVID-19. The EIA draft has given much relaxation for the environmental impact assessment for the new projects to be started. We have witnessed the huge floods in Uttarakhand in 2013 and the excess damage caused due to cutting of trees that led to serious landslides leading to loss of life and property beyond imagination. The EIA is to study the impact of any project and check if it violated the environment of the region. Under the new law any company will be allowed to install the projects first and take the clearance later on; this is a ridiculous said Dr Arun Mitra – General Secretary of the Jatha. Astonishingly the public hearings have been done away with under this draft. S.Ranjit Singh President and M S Bhatia – Organising Secretary said that public will be deprived of right to complain to the authorities and to raise the issue of environment degradation caused by the project. The company carrying out projects will itself raise the issue of environment and study its impact and report this is a mockery of the law. The EIA has already been being flouted by the big companies now it will become legal. The new draft should be immediately withdrawn.