Experts punch holes in environment policy

A group of reputed environmentalists and activists has rejected the draft national environment policy (NEP) in an open letter to the environment and forests ministry alleging it has overtones of being industry-friendly.

The group, which has representatives from non-government organisations (NGO) such as Kalpavriksh that have worked closely with the ministry in the past, came down heavily on the draft for further weakening environmental impact assessment mechanisms and the coastal zone regulation notification among other regulatory mechanisms.

Environmental clearances from the ministry are mandatory for the setting up new units or large infrastructure projects in the environmentally sensitive areas.

The letter attacks the draft policy for displaying an "economic fundamentalist" approach for assuming that "market and economic instruments will solve basic environment problems".

That was reflected in the proposed monitoring by the Cabinet Committee on Economic Affairs than by an environment agency, it said.

The idea of mooting public-private partnerships proposed by the draft also came in for criticism.

The signatories claimed the government had been "opaque and undemocratic" in it's process of consultation.

They said the government's claims that it had had extensive consultation with local group and NGOs while framing the draft act was false.

According to them, reputed NGOs, or communities with maximum dependence on the environment were left out of the consultation process.

Environmentalist Subrata Sinha, a signatory to the letter said: "There has been insufficient public discussion on the policy. The policy is in English and has only been put up on the ministry website for about a month. We want the ministry to reinitiate the process of framing a NEP, this time in consolation with local groups and NGOs." He said the National Advisory Council be roped into have a fresh look at the policy.