EIA 2020: An Environmental Compromise
By: Niteesh Shanbog
Tags: India, Indian Politics, Environment, Environmental Issues, Policy

The Environmental Compromise

But more importantly, apart from the social concerns about public participation and fears of crony capitalism, what is worrying is the way the environment is considered as an afterthought. For long, conservation and industrialisation has been at loggerheads. Rapid industrialisation is being blamed for climate change. The grandiosely-named Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change’s primary mandate is to formulate policies and programmes to conserve India’s rich natural resources, its biodiversity, and to prevent pollution[4]. What is the ministry doing framing policies for ‘Ease of Doing Business’? Isn’t this a conflict of interest? Let the Ministry of Commerce and Industries take steps to promote investments in India by easing FDI norms or reforming the labour structure or even overhauling the tax regime. There are multiple ways to welcome investors to the Indian dream. Compromising on vital aspects like the environment will only attract businesses with dubious interests and track records who are looking to escape the tough regulations being imposed worldwide. Even China, which is otherwise known for its extremely responsive attitude towards investors in the manufacturing sector has recently started tightening the screws on the environmental violators. While China’s new 2020 Action Plan increases environmental inspections threefold[5], India’s new EIA rules cut down the self submissions by companies from twice a year to once a year.

Photo by Steven Lasry on Unsplash

While the decisions to exempt border areas (up to a 100kms from the Line of Actual Control (LAC)) might be good from strategic perspectives, we should take into account that these areas are one of pristine ecologically sensitive areas in the country. A survey by the Zoological Survey of India states that the Himalayan regions are home to 30% of India’s fauna, several of which are endangered species[6]. The ecologically sensitive Himalayan ecosystem, which is already under stress because of climate change will be further affected by indiscriminate industrial activity. The 100 km exemption zone might spell death for the sensitive North Eastern region, which so far has remained pristine. While I agree that the lack of industrial activity in the NE region is worrying, is tampering with the environment the only way? The forest ecosystem of NE India is already under severe stress because of numerous factors like rapid population boom, illegal encroachment, and logging[7]. The new EIA gives state sanction for unbridled industrialisation which the fragile ecosystem may not be able to handle.

India or rather the whole world is grappling with issues of global warming and climate change. There are possibly thousands of case studies and research reports about how rampant industrialisation is playing spoilsport to ecological stability. Floods and droughts are occurring in India with increasing frequency[8]. Unseasonal rains are causing havoc to the lives of the people dependent on the agrarian economy. And in India, those people are not by any means less. The question here is should we compromise the principles of sustainability and environmental cautiousness for ‘Ease of Doing Business’? Should we compromise on clean air and soil for the desire to attract industries who are coming here only for the lax regulations?