Actors Surya and Karthi condemn EIA 2020

Amid the ongoing COVID crisis, the Environmental Assessment Impact (EIA) 2020 draft notification, issued by the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change has drawn the attention of many. 

Several sections of people and environmentalists are raising their voice with #SaveEIA banners seeking to revoke the draft which allegedly has many new provisions for getting environmental clearance. 

Also, the public consultation process under the draft notification is reduced from 30 days to 20 days giving less time to the public to submit their responses during a public hearing for any application seeking environmental clearance.

Voicing their disapproval against the EIA 2020 draft, actor Surya shared on Twitter that silence is more dangerous than words and stressed on protecting the environment. 

Seconding him, actor Karthi said that mountains, rivers and biodiversity are the source of our livelihood hence destroying trees, agricultural lands, setting up highways and setting up factories is definitely not development and we would leave nothing for future generations.

Commenting on the public consultation process, he asked how will it be a law, if people cannot talk about our environmental projects and the impact they have on us. He also pointed out that the number of days for consultation has been reduced in the new law.

Actor Karthi also questioned that if this law is applicable from Kanyakumari to Kashmir, then what is the justification for publishing the draft only in Hindi and English. There are a lot of people who can communicate only in languages like Tamil. 

He appealed that everyone should be aware of this issue and propose their suggestions by sending an e-mail to [email protected] by August 12.

Amid other changes, one of the provisions as per the new draft says that, it allows for post-facto approval for projects, meaning that the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction without securing environmental clearances.