Shelve draft EIA-2020: Arunachal Pradesh citizens to Govt of India

A CORRESPONDENT

ITANAGAR: A group of concerned citizens from Arunachal Pradesh on Monday objected to the draft notification of the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA)-2020, and urged the the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEFCC) to withdraw and shelve the EIA draft notifications.

Addressing reporters at the Press Club here, Jarjum Ete said that every inch of land, river and forest in Arunachal Pradesh belongs to a community and tribes. Unfortunately, our Statehood Act does not give us the rights to protect our land, river and forest, she added.

Ete termed the EIA, 2020 draft worse than the impact of Hiroshima & Nagasaki bombing. She said that the EIA draft will have a much impact on the state where the youths and communities are not well organized in this line.

"We are yet to hear from the community based organization to ensure that our rights towards our land, river, forest and other aspects are protected," she said adding that though political party in the state have some national agenda but the CBOs can play a major role in highlighting the issues related to EIA draft, 2020.

She also said that most of the young students are unaware of the EIA draft. So people should go through the draft and know the future ramifications of it in the life of tribals.

Meanwhile, environmentalist and Advocate by profession SD Loda said that the new EIA draft has very aspects which will impact the natural life of the people. He said that the inclusion of post-facto environment clearance which was earlier removed will have the highest impact.

"The inclusion of post-facto for environment clearance will ease clearances for projects to be undertaken in these ecologically significant areas, endangering wildlife and humans," he said.

The EIA 2020 draft notification undermines the environment clearance process by exempting various types of projects from having to conduct public hearings before beginning construction, including B2 projects.

He said that the people of the state as well the country should speak out against the inclusion of Post- Facto environment clearance. The three representatives of the state in central level should endorse the concern of the public, opposing the post-facto environment clearance on behalf of the public of Arunachal Pradesh, he added.

"There is very possibility that there will be exploitation under the post-facto environment clearance," he said while pressing that a public hearing should be made mandatory before any environment clearance for setting up any project.

He also said that the EIA draft 2020 was released in English and Hindi which is only published on the Internet. Most of the people do not understand or can read the languages or have the Internet as a medium of communication.

He added that the Article 51 (g) of the Indian Constitution dictates that it shall be the fundamental duty of every citizen to protect and improve the natural environment including forests, lakes, rivers and wildlife and to have compassion for living creatures.

"It is shocking that the Environment Ministry needs to be reminded that EIA law should imbibe these values", he pointed out.

Also Watch: Elderly Couple Die Due To Fire