Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) is a process that examines the environmental effects of a newly planned industrial or infrastructural project. The EIA forbids any project from being accepted and begun without adequate supervision.
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forestry and Climate Change has submitted a new draft Environmental Impact Assessment ( EIA) Notification to amend the 2006 EIA Notification with a view to increasing the production and availability of a few drugs.
The draft EIA Notification 2020 was issued to invite public comment on the plan. The last date to invite comments from the public was June 30 but the Delhi High Court has extended the deadline to August 11, 2020.
Changes regarding Draft EIA Notification 2020
- Draft EIA Notification 2020 re-categorizes all activities related to the manufacture of bulk drugs and intermediates from category 'A' to category 'B2' for many ailments.
- The draft states that after-facto clearance may be granted for the projects or activities. This means that such projects can still request approval in violation of the 1986 Environment ( Protection ) Act (EPA). The Supreme Court order of 1 April however states that these clearances are illegal and unconstitutional.
- The latest proposal exempts numerous programs from the EIA including government-labeled "strategic" initiatives, national highways, and inland waterways programs. The draft EIA notes that they must put these programs in the public domain.
- There were also concerns relating to the timetable proposed for accepting public input on the Notification 2020 Draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA). Earlier, the last public comment date was 30th June. The Delhi High Court extended the date until August 11.
- The Draft exempts building projects of up to 150,000 sq m from the evaluation. Such ventures will now obtain environmental approval by the expert assessment committee at the state level after inspection. Previously, building projects of up to 20,000 sq.m were given an exception. or higher.