Arunachal: AAPSU objects to Draft Environment Impact Assessment 2020
Itanagar: The All Arunachal Pradesh Students’ Union (AAPSU) has written to the Secretary, Ministry of Environment, Forest & Climate Change (MoEFCC), Government of India today citing its strong objections to the Draft EIA 2020 (Draft Environment Impact Assessment 2020 ).
The Union has minutely gone through the draft and found many of its provisions to be pro-industry, averse to affected people’s participation/ consultation in the projects and public unaccountability on part of the project proponent, said Tobom Dai, General Secretary, AAPSU .
Tobom Dai, General secretary, AASPU, said that ” The Union genuinely feels that the Draft EIA 2020 if approved in its current form will be disastrous not only for a frontier state like Arunachal Pradesh but also for the entire North East Region as a whole”.
” Our region for long has been the carbon sink of India. In addition to creating massive ecological imbalance & destruction, it shall also prove futile for the existence of numerous indigenous communities in the region” Tobom said.
Tabom Further said “The Draft EIA proposes to grant post-facto approvals which will definitely be favorable for projects which have previously been started illegally. Instead of strengthening, there seems to be serious attempts to dilute the various safeguards provided under the existing EIA and other norms” .
Hawa Bagang, President , AAPSU stated that ” The EIA should emphasize on Public Consultations & Accountability while stressing upon Sustainable Development at the same time. However, the Draft EIA 2020 fails on all these fronts and curtails tribal rights”.
We are of the view that the Committee headed by Secretary (MoEFCC), Govt. of India responsible for preparation of Draft EIA2020 should physically visit & meet all the stakeholders across the North East who will be affected incase this Draft becomes a reality, said the Union’s president.
The Union welcomes development and any initiative in this regards by the Government of India but at the same time, we feel that such development should be sustainable, followed by proper accountability and also the concerns of the indigenous stakeholders should be seriously looked into and addressed, The union stated .
