* Please do copy this format/ draft and paste it in your Email body and mail it to : ” eia2020-moefcc@gov.in ” *
Date :
C.K.Mishra
Secretary Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change
Indira Paryavaran Bhawan
Jor Bagh, New Delhi
Email: secy-moef@nic.in
Subject: Withdraw the draft EIA notification, 2020 [F.N.2-50/2018/IA.III]
Respected Mr. Mishra,
Reference- draft EIA notification, 2020 (uploaded ministry’s website on 12.3.2020 seeking public comments within sixty days of the issuance of the notification).
We are appalled by the pace with which this draft notification has been put out amidst a national health crisis, viz, covid19. At a time where the people are puzzled of their daily routine owing to the covid crisis, it is alarming how the government seeks a public opinion for a draft when people are indefinite of their daily bread and routine.
At a time when our future seems questionable and key factors like public health, social and economic impacts of this global pandemic are yet to be ascertained, it seems like a wrong time to roll out a life changing draft. The EIA notification is an important regulation through which the impacts of land-use change, water extraction, tree felling, pollution, waste and effluent management for industrial and infrastructure projects are to be studied and used in developmental decisionmaking. Any change in this law has a direct impact on the living and our ecology.
Therefore, it is critical that the government takes into consideration the impact, EIA draft 2020 would bestow upon the people. Opportunities to understand and discuss the consequences of the amendments may be hindered due to the present covid crisis and the restriction of public movement, social distancing and challenges to everyday life activities. These restrictions also make it highly difficult to send-out information about the notification to communities who deserve to know and influence the notification especially the underperforming and tribal population.
We as responsible citizens of this glorious nation, therefore, request the environment ministry to:
- Withdraw the proposed amendments of the Draft EIA notification 2020.
- Defer any further progress of the draft until after health conditions related to Covid19 are back to normal across the country.
- Set up appropriate forums to further discuss the pros and cons among the less privileged.
We sincerely hope that the ministry will uphold its obligations towards informed public participation and consider our plea.
Sincerely,
ABC ( YOUR NAME )
Copy to: 1. Geeta Menon, Jt Secy, MoEFF (menong@cag.gov.in)
- Official email ID for responses to Draft EIA 2020: (eia2020-moefcc@gov.in)