The Union Ministry of Environment is not accepting emails sent by the public requesting cancellation of the draft notification of the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) on corporates showing the environment and biodiversity. The Delhi High Court on Monday set August 11 as the deadline for the public to comment on the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA). This was followed by e-mail campaigns by political parties and environmental groups across the country.
EIA: Union Ministry of Environment locks email ID without accepting public complaints
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Emails sent to the Ministry of Environment's eia2020-moefcc@gov.in, where complaints should be lodged, are not accepted when there are a large number of complaints. It is alleged that the Ministry of Environment deliberately tampered with the email system to avoid receiving complaints against the draft notification.
In 1994, the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) Act came into force in the country, mandating the approval of the Union Ministry of Environment for the commencement of major projects. The law, which was amended in 2006, has now issued a draft notification for a new amendment. The Ministry of Environment will review the project before starting a company.
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Environmental clearance will be granted only after studying the people living nearby and the environmental impacts caused by the company under the scheme. However, under the current amendment, it is sufficient to apply for an environmental clearance after the company has started. The toxic gas tragedy in Visakhapatnam is an example of the danger it poses.
On August 10, the Welfare Party launched an email flow to the Union Ministry of Environment demanding the cancellation of the EIA draft notification.
