- Government has released a draft law on Environment Impact Assessment Notification(EIA),2019.The draft law is an update to the EIA 2006.
- The law makes the District Magistrate(DM) the chairperson of the District Environment Impact Assessment Authority(DEIAA) that will accord environment clearance for minor mining projects.
- Minor mining broadly refers to sand and stone mining in plots smaller than 25 hectares.
- However,State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) have objected to the draft law.
- They have said that making District Magistrate(DM) the chairman of the DEIAA would be self-serving for grant of environmental clearance.Also, the DM doesn’t have technical expertise in matters of environment and ecology.
- EIA is a process which studies all aspects of the environment and seeks to anticipate the impact (positive and/or negative) of a proposed project or development on the environment. EIA is mandatory under the Environmental (Protection) Act, 1986 for 29 categories of developmental activities involving investments of Rs. 50 crores and above.
