Itanagar, Aug 8: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) through its letter to the Secretary, Union Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC) on Saturday while strongly objecting the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 has warned that if approved in current form it will cause serious negative ramifications on the environment not only in Arunachal Pradesh but also in the entire Northeast which is an acknowledged carbon sink region of the country.

The letter has categorically expressed apprehension that in addition to creating massive ecological imbalance and destruction, the proposals made in the EIA will endanger the existence of numerous indigenous communities in the region. AAPSU contended that many of its provisions are pro-industry which will shut the doors for people’s participation/consultation in projects giving rise to public unaccountability.

Pointing out the “loopholes” in the draft proposals, the union while drawing attention of the MoEFCC to the Prior Environment Clearance (prior-EC) and Prior Environment Permission (prior-EP) provisions for implementing certain specific projects wherein Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) assessments are not required, has rued over the absence of any scope for public consultations prior to granting clearances. “The idea of granting such prior clearances to the project proponents without adequate checks and study defeats the very purpose of the EIA and the Environment Protection Act, 1986,” the union reasoned.  

Referring to Section 7 (i) of the draft which mandates for a 3-member State Level Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA), AAPSU felt the body should have at least 7 members with wide subject expertise. Expressing its reservations to Section 14 (2) (e) as per which all projects concerning national defence and security as determined by the Central government will be exempted from public consultation, the union while welcoming it, however, has pointed out the line  “projects involving other strategic considerations”, which it feels is unclear and ambiguous with every possibility of misuse in future.

AAPSU has also expressed reservations regarding the provisions contained in Section 14 (2) (f) of the draft (items 31 and 38) where “Border Areas” meaning areas falling within 100 km aerial distance from the Line of Actual Control (LAC) with bordering countries (Arunachal has large stretches of such areas) have been kept outside the purview of public consultation. It opined that as the Linear Projects under item 31 namely oil & gas transportation pipeline (crude and refinery or petrochemical products) will be passing through national parks or sanctuaries or coral reefs or ecologically sensitive areas and slurry pipelines (coal, lignite and other ores) will also traverse the above places, it will be the potent cause of ecological disasters in Arunachal Pradesh and the doing away with the provision of public consultation is also unacceptable. Regarding item 38 under which the Linear Projects will comprise Highways or Expressways or Multimodal corridors or Ring Roads, the union has also underscored the need for public consultation.

Focussing on Section 16(1) which allows grant of prior Environment Clearance to all applicants for modernization up to 50% of production capacity, the union has questioned the rationality behind the ‘zero consultation’ approach. It has also termed Section 22 of the draft which deals with violation and the remedies thereto as ineffective to deliver justice as it “fails to provide scope for cognizance of violation by public application” and “definitely give upper hand to the project proponents rendering them unaccountable even if they are found to be committing gross violations.” 

AAPSU has also opined that Appendix-I of the draft (Clause 14) containing the ‘Procedure of Public Consultation’, where a 20-day period has been earmarked to the public for furnishing their claims, objections & suggestions as grossly insufficient. It has further appealed to the Committee headed by the Secretary, MoEFCC to physically visit and meet all the stakeholders across the Northeast before an official approval.

While welcoming any developmental initiative by the Central government, the apex union of the state has asserted that “such development should be sustainable, followed by proper accountability and preceded by taking into account the concerns of the indigenous stakeholders seriously.” AAPSU PR                               

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Kenter Joya Riba

(Managing Editor)
      She is a graduate in Science with post graduation in Sociology from University of Pune. She has been in the media industry for nearly a decade. Before turning to print business, she has been associated with radio and television.
Email: kenterjoyaz@easternsentinel.in / editoreasternsentinel@gmail.com
Phone: 0360-2212313

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