Discover and read the best of Twitter Threads about #draftEIA2020

Was asked,"Highlight d key problems with #draftEIA2020".
My response. Problem z not just with EIA2020 but with d whole EIA regime. #DraftEIA2020 was an opportunity to think & act wisely but unfortunately got converted into a disaster. There r at least 6 "Who" that needs attention

1. Who #drafts the Law?
2. Who gets #covered under it?
3. Who #prepares EIA report?
4. Who is #consulted & when?
5. Who #appraises a Project/activity?
6. Who #monitors a project post EC?
Each of these "Who" is crucial for a meaningful & worthwhile EIA regime in d country.

1. A law is meant to express Societal concerns & aspirations & not d philosophy or desires of a party in power. So why shud mandarins in a dept draft it?
Law as crucial as EIA with national & international ramifications must b #drafted by a representative Committee of experts.

Social Development for Communities Foundation

Arun PS

@policychettan

Public consultation deadline on #DraftEIA2020 ended yesterday. The campaign against EIA was quite overwhelming at a personal level. I have been tracking policy consultations(check pinned tweet) since 2014 and this was probably one of best from a public participation point of view

@tandem_research

According to media reports, 20 Lakh comments were sent to MOEF ! @tandem_research ‘s survey report suggests that the majority of the respondents were aware of the EIA and 61 % of the total respondents knew of the Draft EIA 2020.
Report available at tandemresearch.org/assets/EIA-TR-…

@moefcc

Environment ministry @moefcc uploaded the draft EIA 2020 on 12th March (just before lockdown). On 23rd March ,the Ministry notified the same in the gazette. On 7th May MOEF extended the deadline to 30th June. This was subsequently extended to 11th Aug by the Delhi High Court.

Read 19 tweets

CPR India

@CPR_India

@CPR_Climate

#EIA2020 fails to acknowledge the grave ecological crises that the country is facing. Here are 5 reasons why #DraftEIA2020 should be withdrawn, by @CPR_Climate's Shibani Ghosh [1/7].
#environment #thread #EIA2020draft

First, #EIADraft2020 is legally untenable. It does not conform to its parent Act, the Environment (Protection) Act 1986. Contrary to the aims of the EP Act, it reduces the *scope & stringency* of environmental impact assessments, threatening local ecologies and people. [2/7]

Second, worryingly, #EIA2020 allows the government to grant environmental clearances to projects that have *already commenced illegally without a clearance,* going against the very rationale of the EIA notification. [3/7]

Read 7 tweets

@sdcfoundationuk

@ReDraftEIA2020

#Thread How a weak EIA affects the fragile #Himalayan ecosystem? Missing from mainstream discussions, #mountains need a strong EIA policy. Sharing our first case study (with @ReDraftEIA2020) on rampant limestone and chromite mining in Mizoram.
#DraftEIA2020
#HimalayanWatch

Over a period of last 3-5 yrs, the hill state of #Manipur has witnessed a steep increase in state-sponsored #mining activities for #limestone and #chromite. The state has been assessed to be holding large reserves of these minerals. #DraftEIA2020 #HimalayanWatch

Further, the NDA govt's Act East policy has given a huge thrust to industrial activities in the entire NE region. In Manipur, several private and government players are now operating for mining of limestone and chromite minerals. The issue is, most of them are flouting EIA norms!

Akshay Deshmane

@DeshmaneAkshay

@Jairam_Ramesh

A day after former environment minister & Congress leader @Jairam_Ramesh wrote to incumbent environment minister @PrakashJavdekar criticising the #EIA2020draft law, the latter responds. Imp point to note: Minister Javadekar says August 11, 2020 is the deadline for consultation.

Why is the August 11,2020 date important? Here's the context: the Karnataka HC asked the Union environment ministry to further extend date for public consultation if it has to be done meaningfully. Clearly, the letter by Javadekar shows Modi Govt's stand: m.huffingtonpost.in/entry/eia-2020…

@PrakashJavdekar

Now, responding to environment minister @PrakashJavdekar 's reply that his suggestions are "unfounded & based on misinterpretation", ex environment minister @Jairam_Ramesh writes a rebuttal with detailed comments quoting specific provisions of #DraftEIA2020 letter wars continue!

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#Demystifying #EIANotification
#SUMMING #UP and #WayForward
We hv till date covered
#Evolution
#Purpose &
number of #threads on #Process of #EIANotifications since 1994
Clearly there are serious issues that deserve consideration before any revision in #EIA2006Notification +

is taken up.
Yr 2020 is 14 yrs since 2006. #EIA2006 has been in operation all these years & good lessons & learnings must have been made as part of its implementation.
Thus a proper well analysed raison d’ etre for bringing in a new notification is in order on following +

lines:
a)Account taking of #EIA2006 in terms of what all was achieved in terms of total numbers of projects assessed, cleared, rejected etc
b)Whether #EIA2006 has helped ‘protect’ & ‘improve’ d environment which is d basic tenet of EPA1986
c)Whether #EIA2006 as a subordinate +

Read 12 tweets

#Demystifying #EIANotification Process (Cont)
Today we cover d final bit of d #Process namely
#SCHEDULE which lists d #projects/activities for which #Prior #EC is mandatory.

#EIA1994 carried a list of 32 projects / activities that required environmental clearance (EC) from+

d Central government. An exception was made in case of few kinds of Thermal power projects (eg captive power projects) which could seek EC from d respective State governments.

In #EIA2006 Thirty nine (39) projects or processes were listed in d #Schedule to d Notification.

These were categorized into following 8 different categories. Each was further sub divided into several others. A note on “#General” Conditions was appended to d #Schedule.
1.Mining, extraction of natural resources & power generation
2.Primary Processing

Read 15 tweets

#Demystifying #EIANotification Part III (Cont)

Today we deal with #Post EC #Monitoring.

All #Prior #Environment #Clearance (EC) letters to projects carry #Conditions that a #Project #Proponent (PP) is required to fulfill during
a) Construction phase
b) Operation phase
&

c) Post operation phase (especially in cases of mining projects)

It is extremely important that these conditions are not only available in public domain but that public is actively involved in the #Monitoring thereof.

#EIA2006 and #DraftEIA2020 provide that

In respect of Category ‘A’ project, it shall be mandatory for the #PP to make public the #EC granted for their project along with d conditions and safeguards at their cost by prominently advertising it at least in two local newspapers of d district or State where d project+

Read 15 tweets

#Demystifying #EIANotification Part III (Cont)
Today we deal with #Appraisal.
#Expert appraisal of a #ProjectProposal by d #Competent Authority (CA) to determine whether a Project deserves to b granted/rejected an #EnvironmentClearance (EC) is essence of #EIANotification.

@moefcc

The @moefcc as d CA was conscious of d fact since #EIA1994 that it wud in-house not possess necessary expertise to assess d different kinds of #projectproposals that come its way & hence provided that:

"The reports submitted with d application shall be evaluated+

& assessed by d Impact Assessment Agency, and if deemed necessary it may consult a committee of Experts , having a composition as specified in Schedule-III of this Notification."
Later #EIA2006Notification created standing committee of Experts to be called as+

Read 18 tweets

#Demystifying #EIANotification Part III (Cont)
Today we tk up #Public #Consultation.

There was a time when development of an area meant setting up of a 'factory'. But not anymore. PPl hv experienced that a 'factory' may not mean good jobs 4 locals. It often means diversion of

local resources like land, water, forests etc; diversion or damming of streams; mining of hills and forests; pollution of air, lands and water; Cases of new or increase in diseases; growth of mafias and crime etc.

It is also known that d State does not own nature or+

natural resources, but holds it in #trust on behalf of #Public.
Also any project/activity planned by State or Pvt entity must primarily b in Public Interest. Even a privately planned project cannot be against #Public #Interest.

The env impact of a project/activity may not+

Read 16 tweets

#Demystefying #EIANotification
Part III (PROCESS)
Today we consider the very 'soul' of d legal instrument called #EIANotification namely d #EIA #Report
An EIA Report is meant to be a thorough scientific document that a professional agency prepares after detailed investigations+

of d likely environmental impacts that d planned project / activity is anticipated to hv at d #site in #question.

Its (#EIA #report) quality wud depend on:
a) Competence of d agency involved
b) Independence of d agency
c) Transparency & inclusive nature of d exercise

The reality of an #EIA #report is that:

Right from #EIA1994Notification to #EIA2006 & now #DraftEIA2020 d #notification provides that it is d #ProjectProponent (PP) that shall #select & #commission the #EIAconsultant at its own cost & terms.

This provision alone+

Fridays For Future, Guwahati

#LetMeBreathe ™ 😷

@LetMeBreathe_In

@CPR_India

#EIA2020: Environment protection & development can go hand in hand - if we work together

The first step: send this sample letter by @CPR_India: bit.ly/EIA-sample-let…

@iep_india @nehaa_sinha @SandeepAnirudha #WithdrawEIA2020

We're sharing information and articles by environmentalists, organisations and citizen groups that might help you understand Draft #EIA2020 better and take action.

Follow this thread! 👇 #WithdrawEIA2020

@guptadebayan1

Here's a study by @guptadebayan1 @kushtanvani @SampadaNayak2 @VdyaViswanathan on the proposed changes in #DraftEIA2020 & their possible implications on environment via @CPR_India

cprindia.org/research/repor…

Read 5 tweets

Vijay Ramesh

@vjjan91

@moefcc

Over the last few weeks, you must have read a lot about why the #DraftEIA2020 is horrible for our environment. Today, I analyzed over 48,000 clearance proposals that were approved/pending approval by the @moefcc and here's a gist of the results: #WithdrawEIA2020

@moefcc

As you already know, environmental clearances are organized by the @moefcc as 'Environmental', 'Forests' and 'Wildlife'. I was ONLY able to obtain the 'Forest' associated clearances as an excel file and after cleaning of the data..

@moefcc

..you will see that the @moefcc has organized the data as pre-2014 and post-2014. One wonders why(?!), but let's dig into the KEY results, which should provide you some clarity.

Read 15 tweets

@fffguwahati

What is wrong with #DraftEIA2020 ? (A point-wise thread).
This March the Government proposed a new EIA notification, which would supersede the EIA notification of 2006.
An EIA process firstly exists to protect the environment from industries which would irreparably harm it.

However, the proposed draft EIA 2020 is being called by experts as a 'compilation of violations'.
It dilutes several existing rules and safeguards.
It lays a foundation favourable to industries, injurious to wildlife and public health.
How exactly? Here are some salient points.

1. Post-facto approvals -

The draft has favourable provisions for projects which have been started illegally in protected areas, without permission or without following due process.

They could be appraised, approved later and allowed to continue.