Forest & environmental clearances during COVID-19 pandemic

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: A group of 291 conservation scientists and allied professionals, including 12 former members of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wildlife (NBWL), the highest advisory body on wildlife that is chaired by the Prime Minister of India, have expressed their serious concerns about the lack of due diligence for environmental and forest clearances, especially during the pandemic-related restrictions and hardships.

The Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change (MoEF&CC) has adapted to the current travel and physical distancing restrictions with a move to online platforms, such as video conferences, for decision making. The letter stated that such communication platforms, used in its present form, are inadequate and do not pay due diligence to forest and environmental clearances.

"The MoEF & CC is under Orders of the Supreme Court to strictly comply with the Lafarge Judgment Guidelines to tighten the clearance process. Shockingly, key Guidelines are being ignored including the failure to appoint a National Regulator for appraising projects. The MoEF & CC appears to be abdicating its constitutional obligation of ensuring environmental protection. Granting fast-track clearances has now become the rule," said Praveen Bhargav from Wildlife First and a former member of the NBWL.

Specifically, the letter referenced the decisions and clearances given at the 57th meeting of the Standing Committee of the National Board for Wild Life (NBWL) on April 7 that were related to the 31 proposals affecting 15 tiger reserves, sanctuaries, notified Eco-sensitive zones, deemed Eco-sensitive zones and designated wildlife corridors. The authors presented several concerns with regards to the project evaluations not being done rigorously to the method of functioning by statutory bodies. They state that video calls were not an eficient mode of communication to assess the environmental, livelihood and biodiversity impacts of projects. Signatories pointed out that under normal circumstances, Expert Appraisal Committee (EAC) meetings would last an entire day. In comparison, meetings during the recent lockdown have lasted only 2 hours, with only 10 minutes to appraise each project.

Due to the reliance on only digital documents uploaded by project developers on the Parivesh single window clearance portal leads to "fait accompli situations", and gravely compromises the appraisals by the committees during the lockdown. The signatories stated that appraisals and assessments for clearance are being reduced to an "empty formality" lacking the credibility and rigour of its purpose. 

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