500 Academics, Scientists Demand To Revoke Draft EIA

As many as 500 academicians, scientists and researchers from various educational institutes across the country have urged the environment ministry to withdraw the controversial draft EIA notification and strengthen the existing EIA 2006 notification with a new proposal, a PTI report stated.

Ever since the notification was issued in March, the ministry has received suggestions through nearly 17 lakh e-mails, including several objections., it said.

Signatories from 130 institutions have listed their concerns regarding the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, which has been surrounded by controversy since its release and asked the ministry to withdraw it as it could adversely affect the environment and dilute the clearance process, the report added.

The institutes and universities that have written to the ministry include the Indian Institute of Science (IISc), Indian Institutes of Science Education and Research (IISER), Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs), National Centre for Biological Sciences (NCBS) and Wildlife Institute of India (WII).

The controversial notification has drawn severe criticism and protests from students, citizens, activists, environmentalists across the country for "fundamentally dismantling environmental safeguards to promote ease of doing business".

"This cross-institutional collaboration, initiated by Ph.D. students from different institutes, was supported by 105 faculties, former faculties, and senior scientists, along with over 400 Ph.D. scholars, post-doctoral research fellows, independent researchers, and other research students, who have all signed the letter in their personal capacities," a press note released by the signatories said. The letter says the legitimization of ex-post-facto environmental clearances is a significant dilution of the EIA process. It also expresses concern on the reclassification of many highly-polluting industries and projects to exempt those from proper environmental appraisals altogether, the report further added.