Anti-Pollution Drive Foundation seeks review of new environmental policy

The Anti-Pollution Drive (APD)

Foundation has appealed to the Centre to immediately review and modify the draft of the new environmental policy or else the ecology of the nation could be affected.

In a letter submitted to the Union Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change on August 10, the city-based foundation said there were loopholes in the policy which could adversely impact the ecology if not modified.

The foundation further said the drawbacks of the policy include a reduced time-frame for open consultation, unqualified exemption given to a number of projects from getting environmental clearance and reduced accountability for project promoters.

The provision for regularisation of unauthorised project activity, elimination of the watchdog role of citizens and protection given to projects from public scrutiny should also be reviewed, the foundation said.

The policy, if implemented, would result in lack of transparency, diminished role for involvement of citizens in environment protection and vulnerability of the environment to commercial exploitation, it said.

The letter was submitted by head (communications) of the foundation Megan DSouza, a press release here said.

The Centre had issued its draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification in March this year and invited suggestions and recommendations from the stakeholders and the general public before August 11.

The foundation said EIA is an important legal process that has implications in the establishment of new projects and also the expansion of the existing projects while protecting the people and the ecology from an adverse impact.

The EIA process established under its parent legislation, the Environment Protection Act, 1986, stands to protect the environment.

However, the new draft appears to conform less with that view as the proposed changes dilute the provisions of EIA 2006, the letter said.