Development Versus Ecology Debate: The Rift Widens
Development Versus Ecology Debate: The Rift Widens
The NDA government has just redrawn the battle lines in the confrontation with the environmentalists over development. The rift in the lute has widened, but both sides will definitely not fall mute, the way things are currently progressing. In a move which indicates the Modi government wants to use development and improve India's economic climate, the MoEF or Ministry of Environment and Forests has formed a High Level Committee under ex-Cabinet secretary T. S. R Subramaniam. The aim of the HLC is to review environmental laws and bring them into concordance with current requirements.
Environmentalists hold that blatant rejection of ecological conservation will have deadly effects. Now the government is caught between development and ecology and no amount of HLCs will be able to find a mutually satisfactory solution. Given the crying need for development and the equally urgent need to protect the ecology, its a classic case of Hobson's choice.
But the 4 member committee has already been mandated to review 5 key environmental laws. This includes the Environment (Protection) Act pf 1986 and the Forest (Conservation)Act of 1980. Also included within the ambit of the review are the Wildlife (Protection)Act 1972 and the Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1974 and the Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act 1981.
The PMO (Prime Minister’s office) has instructed the key infrastructure ministries to provide suggestions for modifications to green laws. The Modi government has made it crystal clear that it seeks to ensure clearance processes are simplified to enable speedy development. Fortunately, consistency and transparency are also being sought in the clearance process. What the end result of this modification of laws will be remains unclear at this point.
The other 3 committee members in the HLC include former MoEF secretary Vishwanath Anand, former retired HC judge A. K. Srivastav and former Additional Solicitor General and SC lawyer K. N.Bhat. The HLC will submit its report within 2 months.
The TOR or Terms of Reference of the HLC are involved in the assessment of the status of implementation of each of the legislations with respect to their objectives. The aim is to examine various court orders and judicial decisions regarding the Acts. The HLC will make specific recommendations for amendments in the Acts.
A letter has also been dispatched by the PMO to different sectors such as Road, Coal and Power to obtain clearances for the wildlife, environmental, coastal and forest regulations and this is a sign of things to come in the NDA government.
For the developmentalists, this is good news. For the environmentalists, it is a death blow to efforts to bring about ecological conservation. Of course, the precise nature of the turn of events will only become clearer after one learns about the extent of the proposed amendments.
