Draft EIA 2020

Before discussing the issue of Environment Impact Assessment or EIA, let me state some basic facts here. A living being requires three things; air to breathe, water to drink and food to eat. Without them, we will cease to exist. We cannot survive more than a few minutes without air. While, we can survive a few days without water and food, we will perish if we stop inhaling for a few minutes — which indisputably emphasizes its importance in our lives and for our existence.

For better living, we need pollution-free air; uncontaminated water; and pesticide free food. In reality, the picture is quite alarming. Human beings are grappling with global warming vis-à-vis climate change. Global warming occurs when carbon dioxide (CO2) and other pollutants like greenhouse gases (methane, nitrous oxide, chlorofluorocarbons) collect in the atmosphere, catalysed or brought about by burning fossil fuels. The global mean temperature also rises with the absorption of infrared radiation by CO2 and greenhouse gases.

Deforestation is also a large contributor to excess CO2 in the atmosphere. It is given to understand that deforestation is the second largest human-made source of carbon dioxide. After trees die, they release the carbon they store during photosynthesis. According to the Global Forest Resources Assessment of 2010, deforestation alone releases nearly a billion tonnes of carbon into the atmosphere per year. Recent data, if available, could be heart wrenching!

Now, let us come to EIA draft 2020. The EIA Notification of 2020 aims at superseding the notification of 2006. However, the same is under severe criticism from environmentalists and demanded for its withdrawal. They also opined that the draft notification is a regressive one and in contravention of the environmental criteria and the established principles of international law. As the Greek philosopher Heraclitus had wisely put — change is the only constant in life. Therefore, we must embrace change, but change for overall development and wellbeing. The draft, if it becomes a law, rest assured, we are waiting for doomsday in making in Assam in particular and the Northeast in general. As such we are in league with the environmentalist to oppose the draft EIA in totality.

P Dowarah,

Guwahati