After labour law reforms, the Narendra Modi Government plans to fast-track changes in key environment laws and has set up a high-level committee to draft the proposed amendments within two months.
The committee, to be headed by former Cabinet Secretary TSR Subramanain, will review the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, the Forest ( Conservation) Act, 1980, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981, according to Environment Ministry office order dated August 29.
The other members of the committee are Viswanath Anand, former Secretary, Ministry of Environment and Forests, Justice (Retd) AK Srivastav and KN Bhat, former Additional Solicitor, Bishwanath Sinha, Joint Secretary, MoEF, Hardik Shah, Member Secretary, Gujarat State Pollution Control Board would serve as secretaries of the Committee.
The Ministry said the committee had been set up to “review these Acts and suggest appropriate amendments to bring them in line with their objectives".
The terms of reference of the committee include assessing the status of implementation of each of the aforesaid Acts vis-a-vis the objectives; examining and taking into account various court orders and judicial pronouncements relating to these Acts; recommending specific amendments needed in each of these Acts so as to bring them in line with current requirements to meet objectives and draft proposed amendments in each of the Acts to give effect to the proposed recommendations.