The National Fishworkers’ Forum (NFF), a federation of State-level trade unions in India, has written to Union Environment and Forests Minister Prakash Javadekar demanding the withdrawal of the draft EIA 2020 proposal as the amendments were against constitutionally guaranteed rights and duties.
In a detailed letter to the Minister, the NFF issued a detailed objection to various amendments proposed by the Ministry which would dilute the original intention and rationale of the EIA notification.
While terming the Centre's move to bring the proposal in the middle of a pandemic as ‘highly insensitive’, the forum said: “In the time of such a crisis, genuine public engagement of legislation is not possible and the online provision to engage with the process, in addition to it being published only in English amplifies the exclusive and discriminatory nature of the process.”
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The NFF said the current COVID-19 pandemic has brought nations to their knees and the need of the hour was to strengthen the existing legislations regarding environmental protection and not dilute them further.
“Proposed amendments are against our constitutionally guaranteed rights and duties under Article 21, Article 48A and Article 51-A(g) and rights guaranteed by the judicial precedence through various judgements,” the forum said adding that public objection to the amendments to the EIA 2006 have been ignored.
"If approved, this version of the notification will further weaken the regulatory oversight in environmental protection in India,” the forum said.
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The NFF also said post facto clearance mechanism of projects was dangerous and the draft gives industries free pass to pollute. Also, bypassing public hearing for projects was extremely distressing and this could have adverse consequences on health, livelihood and land rights.
Pointing out a number of other issues, the NFF demanded that the MoEF withdraw the draft in its entirety, take into consideration the recommendation made by the 263rd report by ‘Department-related Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment & Forests' and the recommendation made by the 324th report by the Parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, environment and forests.