BackHC notice to Centre on plea for extension of time for comments on draft EIA
The high court had on 30 June extended the last date for public to send suggestions and objections with regard to draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 till 11 August
PremiumNew Delhi: The Delhi High Court on Monday issued notice to the Centre on a modification application seeking extension of time for public comments on the draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020.
The applicant sought an extension by 60 days from the date of uploading the translated versions of the draft notification in all the languages mentioned in Schedule VIII on the websites of respective State Pollution Control Boards.
The next date of hearing is on 23 September.
The high court had on 30 June extended the last date for public to send suggestions and objections with regard to draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification 2020 till 11 August. The judgement had also directed that the draft EIA be published in all the 22 languages in the Eighth Schedule of the Constitution within 10 days.
The application filed by Vikram Tongad stated that no translations were completed and uploaded within 10 days.
“This was a clear transgression of the Court’s directive.The MoEF in fact communicated to the State Governments to carry out the translations within 10 days, but not to take further steps (uploading) until specific directions were given by the MoEF. The draft EIA Notification 2020 was only made available on the homepage of the main website of the MoEF (https://moef.gov.in/) as recently as 24th August, 2020." It stated
It has been further alleged that the respondents have failed to upload the draft EIA Notification, 2020 in the English and Hindi language on the websites of the State Environment Departments and State Pollution Control Boards.
“This would not have posed any challenges to the Respondent, as English and Hindi versions of the draft notification were already available with the Respondent. Thus, the Respondent has not taken even the bare minimum steps to give wide publicity to the contents of the draft notification," it added.
The plea said less than 50% of the populace are able to read English and Hindi.
In such a scenario, it would be wholly unfair to those of other linguistic orientations to be deprived the opportunity to understand the application of an Environmental regime that will have far-reaching consequences, it added.
The 30 June order had come on the petition seeking extension of the time to respond to the draft EIA 2020 till September or till the covid-19 pandemic subsists. The petition had claimed that the draft EIA 2020 completely supersedes and replaces the existing environmental norms.
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