UPSC Articles
UN Special Rapporteurs on EIA 2020
Part of: GS Prelims and GS-II – Global Groupings & GS-III- Environment
In news
- Recently, a group of Special Rapporteurs to the United Nations (UN) has expressed concerns over the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification, 2020.
Analysis of EIA draft, 2020 Part I
Analysis of EIA Draft, 2020 Part II
Key takeaways
- The group has highlighted that the proposed notification appeared to have clauses that obstructed people’s rights to a safe, clean and healthy environment.
- There are clauses which exempt several large industries and projects from the public consultation.
- It does not require publication of information or holding of public consultation for projects labelled by the Central government as ‘involving strategic considerations’.
- It allows for post-facto approval for projects. It means that the clearances for projects can be awarded even if they have started construction or have been running phase without securing environmental clearances.
- The group has sought the government’s response on how the provisions of the notification are consonant with India’s obligations under international law.
Indian Government’s Response
- The Environment Ministry has held that nothing in the proposed EIA, 2020 violates the UN Declaration of Human Rights and that the rapporteurs’ concerns are misplaced.
- It is still a draft and was issued for public consultation.
- The imperfections in the existing EIA would be amended in the new notification.
Do you know?
- Special Rapporteurs are independent experts working on behalf of the UN. They work on a country or a thematic mandate specified by the United Nations Human Rights Council (UNHRC).
