ALL NATURE LOVERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT THIS
YOUR IMMEDIATE ENVIRONMENT LIKE THE AIR YOU BREATHE AND WATER YOU DRINK IS DIRECTLY IMPACTED BY THE ENVIRONMENT (PROTECTION) ACT, 1986 OF INDIA. IT REGULATES INDUSTRIAL ACTIVITY IN YOUR VICINITY IN ORDER TO MINIMIZE ENVIRONMENTAL DAMAGES THAT THESE UNITS ARE PRONE TO CAUSE.
THE ACT ONLY CAME INTO EXISTENCE AFTER THE BHOPAL GAS TRAGEDY EXPOSED THE HEINOUS NATURE OF PROFIT-MOTIVATED ENTREPRENEURSHIP OF RUNNING HAZARDOUS INDUSTRIES WITH ZERO SENSITIVITY TOWARDS NATURE AND LIVES OF OTHER SENTIENT BEINGS.
AN ACT SO IMPORTANT IS BEING PUT TO AMENDMENT ONLY TO MAKE INDIA LOOK MORE BUSINESS – FRIENDLY TO FOREIGN INVESTORS.
THE ENVIRONMENTAL LAW (AMENDMENT) BILL 2015 TRIES TO DILUTE EXISTING ENVIRONMENTAL
REGULATIONS WHILE COMPLETELY NEGLECTING THE HEALTH, SAFETY AND FUTURE OF 1.29 billion INDIANS .
HERES HOW >>
A law of such significance is being amended without sufficient discussion with Indian citizens. Especially communities who are directly affected by the implications of environmentally disastrous projects like coal mines, thermal and nuclear power plants and chemical factories. Implications like dumping of hazardous wastes and unregulated discharge of effluents in rivers, streams and groundwater.
The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) released a draft of the amendments and invited public comments for a period of only 15 days.
Enforcement of environmental laws is already poor in India. Take the example of polythene. Banned everywhere but still used everywhere! Adjudicating bodies in India are poorly constituted with a complete lack of seriousness towards scientific matters of this kind. The amendment gives further credibility to incompetent persons to judge environmental matters.
The amendment creates a new adjudicating authority. And anyone who is “qualified to be� a district judge can be appointed a member.
The amendment pretends to provide for an “effective deterrent penal provisions and introducing the concept of monetary penalty for violations and contraventions” but in reality tries to obfuscate the process by introducing complications like,
Now polluters can be categorized as “substantial”, “non substantial” and “minor” violators. Only Central Government can prescribe what that means. There’s no scientific criteria. The amendment says “Substantial” violations can only be fined to an excess of Rs. 20 crores and “non substantial” and “minor” violations are not considered violations of law at all.
The amendment severely curtails the power of the National Green Tribunal which is the only existing authority in India to hear environmental complaints which people of the country are facing. ,
The amendment turns around the entire efficacy of NGT and makes it accessible only to industrial units. On the other hand it instructs affected people to approach district courts and further. Its not surprising given the fact that NGT has passed strict judgments to enforce environmental laws and is a favourite among environmentalists as a single body with effective mechanisms.
THIS CORPORATE FUNDED GOVERNMENT HAS THREE AGENDAS TO FULFILL.
Make land acquisition easy and cheap, Dilute environmental safeguards and Relax labour laws. So that big corporate entities can get as much land as they want, set up cheap factories which pollute and employ people in slave-like conditions – and thus make millions and millions in profits, while impoverishing millions of others,
Stop the MoEF&CC from selling off our resources to corporate profit. Send your reservations about the
bill to, The Secretary, Ministry of Environment,
Forest and Climate Change, Indira Paryavaran Bhawan, Jor Bagh Road, Aliganj, New Delhi – 110003 Or at email address: mk.singh65@ias.nic.in and satish.garkoti@nic.in
Prepared by NATIONAL ALLIANCE OF PEOPLE’S MOVEMENTS for COALITION FOR ENVIRONMENTAL JUSTICE, INDIA | napmindia@gmail.com | 011 – 2437 4535 |