Digging up the dirt

In the article the author discusses about the neglegence of impacts on environment by the upcoming development projects in India. EIA(Environmental Impact Assessment) in compliance with EC(Environment Clearance) conditions and EMP(Environmental Managment Plans) is responsible to look after our ecology and assess the impacts of development projects on every aspect of environment such as lakes, rivers, flaura, fauna, forsts, irrigation etc. , hence provide a clearance to the project on the basis of its report. Public hearing is a mandatory part of EIA process and also an important one as it helps improve the transparency and involvement of local community in the system. Though for their effectiveness, public hearings must be held on the project site, most of them are held in district or taluka headquarters.

Mining in Goa has sparked many questions, of which the most vital is whether our projects are anywhere near to environmentally sustainable development. Justice Shah's report throws a light on how this neglected assessment of long-term impacts on ecology has given wings to such projects. This EIA-EC-EMP system of ours, though a very strategised one, isn't being fruitful to the environment due to its poor implementation. What need to be taken in concern must be the long-term or rather cumulative impacts of such negligence to really know what goes and what comes of a so-called development project. Though the EIA should have done it before the mining started, thankfully atleast after the Justice Shah's report the mining in Goa was suspended in June 2012.

Author suggests that it's time EIA-EC-EMP take a look in the mirror and revitalise its social objectives with more transparency and social partcipation implemented in future.