Once forester. Now river student. RT not endorsement.
Jan 21, 2022 • 16 tweets • 12 min read
Some thoughts. India State of Forest Report, (ISFR) 2021.
Caveat. Going to be long. Largely generic for its quality aspects hv already been widely reported.
a) There should be a well defined objective behind carrying out any such effort. Forest is an ecosystem+
with several ecological roles & services to play. Just to focus on whether d forests in d country r on an increasing or decreasing trend within political or artificial units like tiger/lion reserves etc cannot be a good enough objective to spend huge amounts of public funds on.
Aug 19, 2020 • 13 tweets • 20 min read
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.
Jul 22, 2020 • 12 tweets • 14 min read
#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 +
#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.
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.
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+
Jul 12, 2020 • 13 tweets • 18 min read
#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
Jul 8, 2020 • 11 tweets • 14 min read
#DemystifyingEIA#Notification Part III
Part I and II dealt with #Evolution & #Purpose. Henceforth it shall be d #Process in a series of separate threads. Today we take up #Site#Clearance.
SITE CLEARANCE #EIA1994Notification provided for
"The project authorities will intimate+
+ Location of d following project site to d Central Government in d #MoEF while initiating any investigation & surveys:
a. mining;
b. pit-head thermal power stations;
c. hydro-power, major irrigation projects and/or their combination including flood control; +
Jul 6, 2020 • 20 tweets • 20 min read
#Demystifying#EIANotification Part II
PURPOSE
Part I was abt #Evolution. This is abt #Purpose.
Purpose of #EIANotification is to properly assess in #advance d likely environmental impacts of planned developmental ‘#projects’ so that informed decisions cud be made well in time +
& then a #competent#authority (CA) could either accord or decline an EC (#EnvironmentClearance) to a project proponent (PP).
Presumption of course is that d CA is bound by its constitutional duty under Article 48A & d preamble of EPA1986 to ‘protect’ & ‘improve’ d environment.
Jul 2, 2020 • 13 tweets • 10 min read
#DemystifyingEIA Sorry. Cud b long.
Attempt to explain all about EIA & legal instrument called #EIANotification. This is based on background research conducted by @water_conflicts & hands on experience since 2007 dealing with d issue at HC, SC & NGT. Thnx @lifeindia2016
Seen Ppl confuse terms like EIA, EAC, EC, SEIAA, SEAC & now DEAC. Ground realities of EIA report, Public consultation, EAC functioning, Award of EC, its monitoring etc is poorly understood. EIA legalese gotten verbose over time & agendas found entry under d clarification garb.
Jun 27, 2020 • 15 tweets • 10 min read
#Monsoon is here. Soon #rivers wud start to get blamed 4 events they r not responsible 4. If only #floodplains had been protected?
This is what @PrakashJavdekar had promised d Rajya Sabha on 9.5.2016 as d then MoS, MoEFCC in response to a query by Ms Vandana Chavan ji. #RRZ
Qs No 151 Mrs Vandana Chavan
(a)the details of the steps taken by the Ministry to regulate developmental activities on river fronts and floodplains;
(b) whether there is any proposal to ban all developmental activities near vulnerable floodplain and river beds; and +
