Women draw rangoli to protest against draft EIA notification

As the last date for submitting feedback to the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification ended on Tuesday, several people in Tamil Nadu drew rangolis outside their homes to express opposition to the draft rules that they feel would bring much danger to the environment than doing good.

“Scrap EIA 2020” and “We do not want EIA 2020” are some of the words that found prominent in the kolams (rangolis) that people drew outside their homes as a mark of protests. EIA notification has turned into a major political issue in Tamil Nadu with the general public, politicians and even actors coming out to oppose the draft rules which they say, “rewards violators and rewards regulatory lethargy.”

Actor Karthi and his brother Suriya came out with a detailed response on the issue asking people to oppose the EIA notification.

Separately, over 100 organizations that are fighting to protect environment wrote to all Members of Parliament in the country on Tuesday to press the government to withdraw the Draft EIA-2020 and to strengthen India’s environmental laws in consultation with the people, for preserving the ecology and natural resources of our country for the present and future generations.

“As an aware, law-abiding, and influential political representative of India and a Member of Parliament, we appeal to you to take a stand against the injustice that will be unleashed by the Draft EIA Notification 2020,” the organizations said in the letter.

Allowing post-facto approvals, expanding the list of projects exempted from the public consultation, including modernization of irrigation projects, increasing the validity period of clearance granted to project or activity in its construction phase, and lacking a post-clearance compliance and monitoring strategy are some of the issues that have been flagged by them

“At a time when our country is already suffering a grave environmental crisis, these proposed changes will have severe consequences on public health and safety, forest, coast, and farm-based livelihoods rights, and climate change,” they said.