75 youth groups in Tamil Nadu write to Centre rejecting draft EIA 2020 notification

In a letter to the Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar, the youth warned that “any economy that is based on a premise that nature is expendable is doomed to self-destruct.”

With the deadline for public feedback on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Draft 2020 drawing close, many have voiced out their disregard over the draft. From Tamil film actor Karthi to youth groups in Chennai, many have criticised the EIA Draft 2020.

As young people from Chennai and its surroundings, “we have seen enough environmental disasters resulting from the mindless activities of our previous generations. While the decisions of earlier generations could be forgiven as actions undertaken in ignorance, the actions of today’s decision-makers will be judged differently. The Environment Ministry’s decisions to weaken environmental laws and to undo the meager protections offered by the current EIA Notification, 2006 come at a time when the world is staring at the very real prospect of climate mayhem,” the letter said.

Also Read: All You Need to Know About EIA-2020

The letter urges the Union environment minister to abandon the draft as they view it as “a series of actions taken by the ministry to dilute environmental laws in the name of ease of doing business”.

The letter, put together under the Chennai Climate Action Group, has been signed by several groups belonging to a wide spectrum of social, political and environmental organisations including Ambedkar Periyar Circle-IIT Madras, Architecture idiom, Campus Front of India, Dr. Ambedkar Law University, Eco Society India, Makkal Needhi Maiam- youth wing, SRM institute-students’ wing, VIT College-students’ wing amongst several others.

The draft EIA notification has created a major storm in Tamil Nadu with not just environmentalists and youngsters lending their voice against the draft report but also prominent actors who have come out openly asking people to join the fight in the environment.

This follows the removal of a YouTube video citing the issues with this notification by a Chennai-based YouTuber Padma Priya, who runs the channel, Chennai Thamizhachi. In her now-deleted video, she raised questions on the intentions behind the notification. The video was deleted due to death threats and excessive online hate.

Popular actor Karthi released a detailed statement last week punching holes in the draft EIA notification and he was soon joined by his actor-brother Suriya. Suriya urged his fans to speak-up, endorsing his brother’s statement on the matter. Another actor Anamika also came out against the draft notification.

Also Read: Demand Withdrawal of EIA Draft Notification; Write to MoEFCC

In the letter, the groups draw out detailed critiques of the proposed amendment:

1. The proposal to give permission to for fencing and leveling without any EC is flawed as it involves the change of a landscape. Low-lying areas may be natural drain channels and such changes cannot be made without a comprehensive study
2. One season study for collecting baseline data must be made to a three-season study as it would give a detailed and better picture.
3. In the latest draft, there is a proposal to expand the list of projects exempt from public consultation. The draft also proposes to reduce the period of public commenting from 30 days to 20 days and requires a public hearing process to be completed in 40 days than 45 days as under the 2006 notification.
4. The draft EIA 2020 undermines the orders of the Nation Green Tribunal (NGT) which had ruled against post-facto approvals.
5. The draft seems to be appeasing the business and economic interests over environmental interests as it proposes an extension of time given for submitting a compliance report throughout the term of the project. Earlier, the project proponent had to submit a report every six months whereas the draft now proposes a report once a year.

The groups also said that the Ministry’s decisions to weaken the already meager protection offered by the EIA Notification, 2006, come at a time when the world is staring at the very real prospect of ‘climate mayhem’.

Apart from the youth groups, DMK youth wing secretary and DMK Chief’s son Udhayanidhi Stalin also tweeted out criticising the Centre on Monday.

Chennai Climate Action Group is a city-based youth collective that uses science, law, and media to support community struggles against environmental injustice.