Hyderabad, Aug.19 (Hydnow): Dr. Marri Channa Reddy Memorial Trust organised a Webinar on 19th August, 2020, to discuss the Draft EIA Notification 2020 and amendments to the process of environment impact assessment.
Jairam Ramesh, Former Union Minister for Environment, was the main speaker. He spoke extensively on the EIA 2020 and the lacunae therein. He informed that under Chairmanship, Standing Committee on Science and technology, has met on this issue. The Secretary Ministry of Environment was asked why this is being brought out and it was obvious that it was “ease of doing business”.
However, 6 BJP MPs tried to avoid any discussion on this, while AIMIM chief Asaduddin Owaisi came out strongly against it, gave a written submission against the EIA2020, with substantial points.
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Jairam Ramesh also mentioned that Chief Ministers from many States wrote the Minister for Environment Jawadekar against the EIA2020.
The Maharashtra CM has raised many important points for consideration. Apparently the Telangana chief Minister is not one of them. He spoke to ‘friend Ex MP Kavitha, who has always talked about championing environment and culture and asked her what her and her party’s stand was on this, she promised to talk to her leaders and come back.
He is waiting for her to respond. He suggested that the Congress party should take this up to pressurise the chief minister into writing to the union minister opposing EIA 2020.
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Lauding the objective of the Trust, as explained earlier by Marri Shashidhar Reddy that there is a need to generate public awareness so that administrative and political will can be crystallised, Jairam Ramesh suggested that it should be taken to the people that environmental issues are not just environmental but health issues. Be it air pollution or water pollution, chemical contamination, deforestation and degradation of environment are all public heath issues. He said we all know that COVID2019 pandemic has become a major public health concern and its origin lies in environment degradation and non conformity with norms by the wet markets in China, where the corona virus has originated.
Jairam Ramesh complimented the Channa Reddy Memorial Trust and especially Marri Shashidhar Reddy, who has been consistently taking up issues of great public concern.
Shashidhar Reddy said that all sections of the society will be impacted and future generations will have to bear the brunt of the violations that the EIA will try to legitimise. It will be the poorest of the poor and marginalised who will suffer the most. He also noted that in spite of the directions of courts, EIA draft Was not made available in local languages for the benefit of the most vulnerable people.
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The provisions of the Forest Rights Act will be violated. India has a coastline of over 7500 kms. Fishermen will be impacted. Biodiversity will suffer and art will be recipe for total ecological degradation. The Trust will write a letter to the state chief minister conveying the strong feelings expressed by the participants today and urge him to take a stand against EIA 2020.
Prof. Purushotham Reddy, environmentalists, raised concerned about the provisions in the EIA 2020 and how these provisions reduce the scope for public participation. Senior Congress leaders former TPCC president Ponnala Lakshmaiah, Dr J Geeta Reddy, Vamshichand Reddy expressed their views. Intellectual Cell Chairman A Shyam Mohan and party spokesperson G Niranjan expressed their views.
Former DG IMD, Dr KJ Ramesh, Prof Kapil Gupta of IIT Bombay, Dr PV Ramana a senior expert on Maoist issues, Dr Biksham of WWF, Switzerland, R Rajeshwar Reddy of the Telangana chapter of Indian National Overseas Congress from New York and a large number of intellectuals, academicians and activists also participated. A 14-year old student P Krishna of class 10 from Rajamundry, and a 10-year old student of class 5, Aryan from Gurgaon also spoke in the webinar, expressing their concern for the future generations. (Hydnow)
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