Former CM Tarun Gogoi sends missive to PM opposing draft EIA

Staff Reporter

GUWAHATI: Former Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi sent a missive to the Prime Minister opposing the draft EIA (Environment Impact Assessment), 2020 on Thursday.

In his letter to the PM, Gogoi said, "It is not only the people of Assam or North East, but from entire Himalayan region including Himachal, Uttarakhand, Kashmir and Ladakh are greatly concerned about this notification.

"If the proposed draft EIA becomes an Act, it will seriously harm all ecological aspects of the region. The whole world is facing the problem of climate change due to destruction of our natural resources including biodiversity and as a result of this there has been alarming melting of Himalayan glaciers continuously. This has resulted large-scale of flood and erosion in the north-eastern region and due to massive deforestation. Assam has been facing the main problem of flood and erosion. This year alone so far 130 precious lives lost out of which 104 for flood and 26 due to landslide. Moreover, it will lead to loss of biodiversity, soil erosion, water resources, fertility of agricultural soil, decrease of ground water level, pollution etc. It will ultimately have negative impact on health and economical activities in the region and will lead to starvation, unemployment too."

Gogoi said, "This notification has given unlimited power to the authority to take any kind of steps which will be harmful to safeguard our natural resources. Such arbitrary power is likely to be misused by big corporate groups."

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