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EIA Notification 2006 Amendment

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Environmentalists appeal to PM - The Statesman, 24 March 2009

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Statesman News Service

NEW DELHI, March 24: An environmentalists' lobby has asked the Prime Minister to stop the move for amendments in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2006 as it would weaken the government role in reviewing polluting projects.

In a letter to Dr Manmohan Singh, the Campaign for Environmental Justice has alleged the proposed notification by the ministry of environment and forests (MoEF) offers various concessions to project developers and is in violation of the Election Commission?s Code of Conduct.

The 2006 EAI notification requires projects that cause pollution, displacement, destruction of natural resources, whether from greenfield ventures or through expansion, to comply with a number of laws.

These laws include the Environment Protection Act, Forest Conservation Act, Wildlife Protection Act, Water and Air (Control of Pollution) Act, in addition to a range of international treaties, in particular the Rio Declaration of 1992.

However, the proposed notification relaxes several key provisions of the law. One of the amendments is a self-certification benefit for polluting industries and a three-year exemption from certain procedural norms for those seeking environmental clearance at the state level. Under the proposed amendment, industries can expand simply by certifying that they are not polluting.

ESG is an independent not-for-profit organisation that promotes the cause of environmental and social justice through research, documentation, advocacy, training and campaign support. We aim to support the rights of local communities and voiceless ecosystems in a responsible, progressive manner that keeps contextual complexities in mind.

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