Karnataka High Court restrains Centre from publishing EIA 2020 notification

The High Court observed that the Union government is yet to give wide publicity in regional languages to the draft EIA 2020.
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar
Written by:

In a setback to the Union government, the Karnataka High Court restrained it from publishing the final draft notification of the Environmental Impact Assessment 2020. The court noted that the draft gazette notification has not been publicised in local languages yet. The court restrained the government from finalising the draft till wide publicity is given in regional languages, especially in Kannada, and till reasonable opportunity has been given to citizens to submit their objections.

The court was hearing a petition filed by the United Conservation Movement to stay the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification. EIA 2020 proposes to fast track environmental clearances that will allow industrial and infrastructural projects to begin construction activities in and around forest areas. 

A bench headed by Chief Justice Abhay Oka and Justice AS Kinagi noted that there is no wide publicity for the notification amid the pandemic.

The Central Government counsel Shiva Kumar told the court that the official gazette draft notification can be published only in Hindi and English. “We are following up with State Environment Impact Assessment Authorities for publishing in local languages,” the counsel told the court, according to LiveLaw. 

The court has also clarified that it will be open for the central government to take all permissible steps on the basis of impugned draft notification. The case will next come up for hearing on September 7. 

The court had earlier pulled up the Union government for not providing widespread publicity to the draft. It had directed the government to reconsider the last date for filing objections. The current last date is August 11, 2020. 

The EIA 2020 draft had caused massive outrage on social media since it allegedly attempts to dilute environmental norms in favour of big corporations. Environmental experts and NGOs have also slammed the Centre for not following the Delhi High Court’s order to make the draft available in 22 official languages of the country. 

Major conflict points like reduction in the time for public consultations, post-facto environmental clearance in which developmental projects can begin without prior EC have triggered opposition. A lot of celebrities have also come out and asked people to send in their comments to the Union government.

Related Stories

No stories found.
The News Minute
www.thenewsminute.com