Bonjour, new guests from small-town India
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
There can be no disputing the argument that environment impact assessment (EIA) norms need to be revisited at least once in a decade, to readjust economic activities to the state of the environment. Hence, the Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020 was drawn up in March, just before the first lockdown, with a view to replacing its existing avatar prepared in 2006. Yesterday was the last day for receiving public feedback on the draft. The new draft has been criticised for exempting a number of projects from public consultations; legalising projects which have come up without an environment clearance ‘ex post facto’ by making them pay a fine; easing compliance norms for project proponents by making them submit just one compliance report annually instead of two at present; reducing the time window for public hearings; and not taking cognisance of public reporting of violations and non-compliance. Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar has refuted some of these allegations in a letter to the chairman of the Parliamentary Standing Committee on Environment and Forests, Jairam Ramesh. He has said that detailed consultations will precede any finalisation of the draft, while contesting the view that environmental rules are being given the go-by. Exemptions from public hearing for ‘B2 category projects’, he contends, are a feature of the 2006 draft as well. B2 projects, essentially Section 26 of the new draft, will be subject to a more relaxed process of appraisals. The areas include oil exploration, small hydel projects; broadly speaking MSMEs in the mining, minerals and chemicals sectors; small cement plants; inland waterway projects; expansion or widening of highways between 25 km and 100 km; aerial ropeways; and some construction projects. While the effort is consistent with the ongoing MSME push, promoting industrial activity without considering environmental impacts can push India into a deep environmental crisis, as China seems to have realised of late. The EIA draft, as the Minister has indicated, should be the outcome of a stakeholder consensus. Recent moves to pull down websites that raised questions on the draft were, however, regrettable.
The perils of disregarding EIA are visible around us, in the floods and landslides in Uttarakhand, and in industrial zones such as Valsad, Singrauli and Korba, to name just a few. As Ramesh observes in his book Green Signals: “As far as hydroelectric projects are concerned, we need to carry out cumulative impact assessments on a basin-basis and not just assessment of individual projects.” EIA norms need to be revisited — by adopting global best practices — with the realisation that the positive externalities of natural resources cannot be easily quantified.
The exercise of discretionary power should be avoided to help bonafide businesses. Yet, the Centre should send out a clear signal that it will not brook environmental law breakers, even as it focuses on ease of doing business.
Puneet Dhawan of Accor is brimming with ideas on ways to revive the hospitality sector
Citroen’s first vehicle sports a novel design and European interiors. It is also meant to be as comfortable as ...
The pandemic is only the tip of the iceberg that the country’s cash-poor airlines — both regional and national ...
The government is yet to specify the framework of its recently announced old vehicle scrappage policy
Here is a checklist that equips you to discern the market nuances
Sensex, Nifty 50 have witnessed sharp decline
The fund has consistently outperformed S&P BSE 100 TRI over one, three and five years
Returns are superior to immediate annuity plans, but SCSS can secure better rates for new investors sooner if ...
With the public looking beyond mainstream media for reports from the ground, independent digital platforms are ...
A book on Badri Narayan is a tribute — albeit a belated one — to an artist who did not enjoy the recognition ...
The country hasn’t had a quiet moment since the military seized power on February 1
The Tatmadaw sees itself as an embodiment of the nationalist soul of Myanmar. But their brand of nationalism ...
Its name is the starting point of a brand’s journey and can make a big difference in the success sweepstakes
Sober spirits are the in thing
A peek into where ad spends went last year and where they are headed tomorrow
Can Swiggy Instamart disrupt the ecommerce groceries space, currently ruled by the Amazons and Big Baskets? ...
Three years after its inception, compliance with GST procedures remains a headache for exporters, job workers ...
Corporate social responsibility (CSR) initiatives of companies are altering the prospects for wooden toys of ...
Aequs Aerospace to create space for large-scale manufacture of toys at Koppal
And it has every reason to smile. Covid-19 has triggered a consumer shift towards branded products as ...
Please Email the Editor