Amid widespread opposition across the country against the draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020, the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC), the apex body of Catholic churches in the state, wrote to the Centre on Tuesday. Calling the EIA draft ‘pro-corporate’, KCBC said that it would have severe repercussions on the environment and people.
“The EIA draft notification is to promote corporate investment and to fasten industrialisation. Though the government claims that this is aimed at the progress of the country, there is no doubt that the draft EIA will have severe repercussions to the environment and people,” Fr Jacob G Palackappilly, spokesperson of KCBC, said in a statement.
Through this draft, the opportunity for people to address their concerns and directions on various industrial projects have been taken away, he said, adding that provisions which allow the public to raise their concerns should continue.
The KCBC has further asked the Centre to take off the clause in the draft that industrial projects need to only get environmental clearance once they start the project and not before its commencement.
“It should be ensured that the environmental guidelines followed internationally are respected and ‘environmental ethics’ are considered,” KCBC said.
Stressing on the issues specific to Kerala, KCBC said that it is important to continue environmental clearance for quarrying in more than two hectares of land. As per the draft EIA notification, environmental clearance is only required for mining or quarrying in more than five hectares of land.
“For sensitive regions like Kerala, it is very important that we follow regulations from two hectres. It is the Adivasi and ethnic community who are severely affected during activities like mining or while construction of dams. In the name of development, their rights should not be snatched away. There should be provisions for complete rehabilitation while they are being pushed away in the name of industrialisation,” KCBC Said.
Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan had also come out against the draft EIA notification on Tuesday, specifying the state’s concerns with relaxed regulations on quarrying. The state has written to the Centre saying that a final decision on EIA should only be taken after proper discussions with all stakeholders.
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