EIA2020 - Earth-life Impact Assesment |It's time to Speak up|

Environmental  Impact  Assessment:

 EIA (Environmental Impact Assessment) considers the pros and cons, social and economic ,cultural and human-health impacts of any proposed project from an industry or an organization ( governmental or NGO). EIA targets to predict the environmental impacts of a proposed project before it is implemented so that it can reduce the adverse impacts and make it suitable for the environment. Yet the project's implementation would be in the hands of authorities.

Projects and plan for national highways , mining coal or any other minerals, Infrastructure development, thermal, nuclear, hydro power projects, real estate, and other industrial projects are subjected to an examination from a board of officials to maintain the constrictions of EIA.  They have certain rules and regulations for doing these projects framed by the Government.

 It was first stated in 1976-77 and later established  in 1994 under the Environment Protection Act (EPA) of 1986. MOEFCC notified new EIA norms in 2006. It has four stages Screening,Scoping,Public hearing and appraisal. They have again planned to implement some changes in the Draft now known to be EIA 2020. 

What is EIA 2020?, What are the causes of implementation? , What should we do to get back EIA 2020?

In the EIA 2020 draft, the Central Government has given many changes which will cause several hazardous consequences to the nation, people, even to the forthcoming generation. It will affect each and every living being here.

This unfortunate consequences might lead to a decrease in the Ground water level, scarcity for food and water ,drought,temperature above the threshold, finding other way for energy as less food only available(Single cell protein-SCP) ,no clean air due to more air pollution( buying pure air for money can happen)-buying water and air is most serious danger we have made to our mother Earth by making all natural resources destroyed. Already we have made all natural resources very worse without saving it, if  this condition persist we might have to buy clean air for oxygenation. Already we are buying water for money which itself, is a serious thing, think of carrying oxygen cylinder for breathing, its the hardest thing.There are so many things left which will also affect our life.

1. There would be no option in Earth for human life.

It’s only one choice (a)Earth (b) No Earth.

2.Efforts + Wrong Tools= No Results.

As a citizen of India, you have to make serious efforts to remove new changes given by the Government.

The new draft includes certain problematic and contentious changes given by the Central Government this year. The regressive departure of the 2006 version that it seeks to replace attempts to weaken environmental regulation. It favors industries by neglecting the balance between sustainable development and environmental protection. Union government gave new alteration in the draft, EIA is not proper :

Exemption from public consultation and participation.

Deadline for submission of public feedback is only for 20 to 30 days which is the main drawback for the uneducated people. It’s really hard for those people to submit the petition within that certain period.

Posto-facto clearance means that, even if the project has come up without environment safeguards or the environment, it could carry the operation.

Earlier monitoring projects for every  6 months should be done but now they have reduced it to once in a year. By doing so it increases the risk of harming humans and the environment.

If there is an obligation for the people against the act or plan after implementation. They can't even raise their voice for it, only government agencies or government employees alone can do it.

Land limitation for buildings  has also increased from 20,000 sq m to 1,50,000 sq m.

Dry grassland will be considered as barren land and that will be handed over to the IT sector department development.

Slough land forest is a source of water. According to EIA 2020,there is no need  to seek permission for putting mud to make equalize it which can use to make plots for sale, which will affect ecology.

EIA projects include mining coal or any other minerals, Infrastructure development, thermal, nuclear, hydro power projects, real estate, and other industrial projects. These projects can cause serious and severe impact on nature. Already we all are facing the COVID-19 it's very bad to implement this EIA 2020 during this crucial time. There are many disasters like cyclones, floods, grasshopper attacks, and so on occurring due to our human activities. 30% of India is like desert land now. By implementing more environmental affecting projects can make everything so worsen than now.

Humans have made many industries by destroying the forest which is home for wild creatures, now entering our living area causing panic due to our action. Destroying forests made no arrival of rainfall and no home for wildlife.

Making good soil land used for agriculture into flats and buildings due to less rainfall and less income from it. As of one human action, it affects all other resources of nature. Everything is interconnected. We have made our air impure. 

Planning for highway and railway is GOOD   but cutting off several trees is really like digging a pit and getting into it by yourself. It's not a good choice to chop down the trees at a time. By cutting a tree, it causes more harm to the environment. It takes years for a tree to grow.

Several incidents  have occurred  without  environmental clearance:

LG polymer plant in Visakhapatnam their styrene leak happen on May 7. Without EIA clearance, running it for two decades was revealed now. Their negligence caused 11 deaths and 1000 people affected. The entire village and surrounding village people were fainting and few already fell. No one could one another. It's worse when the government allows it without any clearance without valuing the human's life.

Similar incident reported in Assam, Natural gas of Oil India Limited on May 27 where it caught fire. It is due to poor adherence to environment norms. They have doing it for the past 15 years without previous approval from the board.

Some of the plans which can cause  environmental impact:

Dibang valley-  A hydroelectric power project awaiting the clearance will lead to loss of more than 2.5 lakhs trees from that forest of this valley, which is home for around 550 species of birds,50 mammals, around 120 types of wild orchids,90 species of amphibian and reptiles.

Mollem National Park-Goa’s Bhawagan Mahaveer Wildlife sanctuary and Mollem National Park are in severe danger after newly three projects were approved.170 hectares of forest will be cleared for highway Expansion, railway line doubling, and laying power transmission lines.

Vedanthangal Bird Sanctuary-which is home for more than 40 K species of migratory birds. Tamilnadu Government now reduces 40% of sanctuary for commercial purposes,which is denied by the Tamilnadu Forest Department.

 Dehing Patkai Wildlife Sanctuary – is a lowland rainforest area house for plants and animals like tigers, leopards, elephants, jungle cats, flying squirrels, sambhar deer, and more. National Board for wildlife gave a nod for the usage of  98.59 hectares for coal extraction by Coal India Limited. There are many more plans which they are planning to execute soon. The websites which are against EIA 2020 were blocked.

EIA is to safeguard natural resources but now it is working in other direction to make destroying nature.The government should make many plans for making the environment and not bad. As citizens, we should do our duty by standing against EIA 2020. Each and everyone should come together and make it to withdraw new rules of  EIA  going to be implemented by Government. Send a mail to MOEFCC – Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change  eia2020-moefcc@gov.in. Please do send a message against the draft EIA 2020 before August 11 which is actually extension date for submission. It's a  matters of few minutes, never think for …it's our life. If the EIA 2020 is implemented it’s hard to get back the draft and resources destroyed by it, even we can’t fight once it is started..I hope everyone will send a message against EIA 2020 to the above mail. Do share and make it know to everyone around you.We have raised our voice against Jallikatu by protesting but now it's the only way to show our voice against Draft EIA 2020.

FOR ONE LAST TIME TO SAVE OUR LAND