EIA draft notification: Protests immature, this is not the final notification, says Javadekar

Vibha Sharma
Tribune News Service
New Delhi, August 10

Advertisement

Reacting to the criticism against the draft Environment Impact Assessment notification 2020, Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar on Monday called the protests “immature and untimely” as it “only a draft and not the final notification”.

“The draft will be finalised after taking into considerations in suggestions and comments received,” Javadekar said amid the growing clamour against the contentious draft and a very public war of words with Jairam Ramesh, the Chairman of Parliamentary Standing Committee on Science & Technology, Environment, Forests and Climate Change.

Javadekar said those who protest now have during taken bigger decisions in their regime and without any public consultation.

“This is unnecessary and premature. We will consider all those suggestions and then will come out with a final draft. People jumping at the draft is not a fair practice During their regimes decisions have been taken without public consultations, this also I have mentioned in my reply to Jairam Ramesh,” he said

According to Ramesh, the Parliamentary Standing Committee has been “inundated with requests from various stakeholders to give them an opportunity to present their views and that the “Notification may be kept in abeyance until the Committee completes its deliberations”.

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has called the draft “disgraceful and dangerous”.

Javadekar said the ministry, in order to make some changes in the Environment Impact Assessment, had brought out a draft notification. In the last 150 days, people have given their views and opinions on it.

“While as per rules 60 days are given, because of COVID, three more months were given. Thousands of people gave their view, which I welcome. But some people have become so impatient that they have given a call for agitation. It is still a draft….suggestions that have been received will be further discussed. It is only after that the final document will be prepared….if someone has to give a reaction that will be the appropriate time.

“But because there is nothing else, let’s have an agitation this type of attitude is not good. When they were in power, they did not even ask people before implementing several decisions. I have also given a detailed reply to Jairam Ramesh. The consultation period has ended yesterday, now discussions will be held after which it will be decided what kind of changes are made and what draft is brought before the people.

It is better that the reactions are given then. Today they are untimely and premature. When I saw reactions of some leaders that they want to protest against the draft, (my question is) how can you protest against the draft. A draft is a draft it is not a final notification,” he added.