EIA 2020: ‘Nothing disturbing’

A secretary in the environment ministry, RP Gupta has recently responded that nothing is disturbing in the clauses of the EIA Draft Notification 2020 in an interview.

Nevertheless, the issue has had a massive public outcry. The ministry has received enormous objection mails out of which over 95% of them were found repetitive. It was exposed that the ministry is also developing a monitoring mechanism of projects which will come as a second part to this draft notification. Quoting one of his response, “To discourage violations, the best way is to ensure fast-tracking of clearances.”

 

  

Public Engagement “?”

Under Environmental Impact Assessment 2020

Glad to see voices against the draft EIA notification 2020. The Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change (MoEFCC) unveiled the draft notification proposing amendments to the EIA notification 2006. First Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) notification was introduced in India during 1994 under the Environment (Protection) Act, 1986 which was later amended in 2006. The notification contains measures to be satisfied before commencing development projects to protect environmental consequences due to its implementation.

Broadly, the projects are classified under Category A, B1, and B2. The stages to obtain Prior Environment Clearance for projects under Category A, B1, and B2 are mentioned in Section 10. The proposed section provides for public consultations as a process. However, the draft notification has curtailed public engagement. This has brought a nightmare to the public.

The EIA 2020 also proposes a concept called strategic projects and Section 5 (7) exempts the availability of information related to those projects from the public domain. Those projects that are coined as strategic by the Central Government are exempted from public consultation. A concept called post-facto clearance also poses as a threat as projects functioning in violation would also be able to apply for clearance. EIA is also exempted for construction projects up to 150,000 sq. m. All these came as a shockwave curbing the merits of EIA and public involvement. The notification is open for public responses until 11th of August.

Many websites have been voicing against EIA and some have also been blocked for campaigning against. Petitions and forms circulates on social media to make our opinion count. It is high time we safeguard the purpose of EIA and intensify public engagement. Herewith, I’m attaching a link through which you can voice out your dissent towards EIA 2020!

(Civis collects all our responses and would share it with the concerned Government Department)

Requesting to keep us posted if you find other platforms to post our dissent!

Jallikattu time again? PETA in action!

Jallikattu has been under a lot of controversies in the past. It has been through prohibition and also amendments in the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act, 1960 reversing the Supreme Court ban.

Yet again, it is on the news. 

The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) requested the Tamil Nadu government to comment on the inspection report of the bull-taming sport conducted this year. According to the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) inspection report, six animals said to have died during the event.

Statements from the report as quoted by Dr. S K Dutta, Secretary, AWBI, exclaimed that pictures showcased cruelty that the animals were teased with nails. Data of one animal death recorded by the committee established in coordination with the TN government contradicts the data put forward by the PETA. Hence, the AWBI has called the government to furnish its comments or views on the report received from PETA at the earliest for further action. Amid pandemic and increasing tensions over the India-China issue, Animal welfare organizations seek public attention.

Concerning Covid-19 Vaccine, the Indian Council of Medical Research wrote to medical institutions and hospitals to fasten the trials aiming to launch a vaccine by 15th August, remarking independence day. On the other hand, a survey by an NGO, Society for Empowerment (SFE) in Patna has exposed that cultural habits of people in tribal areas in Chhattisgarh kept them virus-free. The report expressly stated on the use of traditional herbs and medicines along with social distancing norms of their culture. As cases continue to surge, it’s high time we become more conscious (over health on top priority).

G4 in China

Waves of coronavirus, a global pandemic have already caused an existential crisis all over the world. Meanwhile, researchers in China exposed a study on G4 Swine Flu Virus in the U.S. journal, Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences (PANS). The study stated ‘systematic surveillance is a key measure for pre-warning the emergence of the next pandemic influenza.’ 

The study was published based on the observation of samples in China from 2011 to 2018 and this genotype has been found among pigs predominantly since 2016. Testing workers in the swine industry, it is found that nearly 10.4 percentage test positive to G4. It is said that the G4 genotype has descended from the H1N1 virus that caused the flu pandemic in 2009.

The study exclaimed that the virus possesses ‘all essential hallmarks of being highly adapted to infect humans.’ As reported in the Guardian, it is said that 4.4% of the general population has been exposed to this virus indicating it has already transmitted to human species.  Zhao Lijian, Foreign Ministry spokesperson of China, assured to take up necessary steps preventing the spread and outbreak of the virus.

Clock is ticking: TikTok

In the midst of raising border tensions, the Indian government has banned 59 originating from China under Section 69A of the Information and Technology Act, 2000. Zhao Lijian has expressed China’s concern over the issue. The spokesperson added that their government always asks Chinese businesses to abide by international and local law regulations and also exclaimed, ‘Indian government has a responsibility to uphold the legal rights of international investors including Chinese ones.’

The Ministry of Electronics and Information Technology of India has exposed that it had received complaints reporting misuse of some mobile applications, looting and transmitting user information in an unauthorized manner to servers outside the country. The ministry’s statement expressed its deep and immediate concern over the issue. India has been an untapped market for most of the Chinese applications.

Indian users have spent over 5.5 billion hours in 2019 on TikTok, the application that once went through ban by the Madras High Court. Revisiting the reason stated by the ministry, data mining has been an intolerable offense in this internet world. As we notice, our feeds and recommendations on social media networks are prompted based on our user information and searches. Companies like Google and Facebook have met cases on user data collection and others in preceding times. Have we ever wondered how advertisements are pitched through social media networks?

Are we aware that many companies including Coca-Cola have joined Facebook ad boycott in the U.S.? The movement called #StopHateforProfit has been calling not to advertise on Facebook’s services in July. We tend to keep our social media accounts highly updated without realizing the effects. Though we assume we have kept things private on our account, our privacy has already been interrupted.

High time we draw a line!

Story of calling media Anti-national

Prasar Bharathi is India’s largest broadcasting agency under which All India Radio and Doordarshan operate. Recently, Prasar Bharathi has threatened to cancel its subscription of the Press Trust of India (PTI), a news agency, calling it anti-national. It has expressed ‘deep displeasure’ by putting forward allegations that the recent coverage of PTI on India-China crisis as ‘detrimental to national interest’ and that has undermined the territorial integrity of India.

Wonder what alarmed this? PTI covered an interview with China’s Ambassador to India, Sun Weidong who claimed that ‘onus’ of the conflict at the LAC is not on China. It was also quoted as saying, ‘The Indian forces seriously violated agreements on border issues between the two countries.’ The said coverage has caused Prasar Bharathi to rethink on its tie with PTI.

Does it not curtail the right to freedom of speech and expression of the news agency? Is it not the job of the news agency to keep the public informed about various angles of a crisis? Only that would balance a news story. Although acting on professional duty, PTI has been slammed ‘anti-national.’ Notwithstanding that it was a coverage and not views or opinion of the agency itself.

A toast to freedom of press!

Throughout and after the pandemic

The number of coronavirus cases has continued to surge in India marking a total tally of 509, 737 according to Worldmeter data. The death toll has climbed to 15,700. It's been more than three months since we have locked ourselves and beginning to get used to social distancing norms which is our new normal. We witness at least one positive case reported in our proximity causing tension and worry. In the middle of raising tension, Livemint came up with a news feed on the recovery rate of different states in India based on data available until 25th June 2020.

According to the report, Meghalaya has so far reported 46 cases with 90% recovery rate. It is followed by states like Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Bihar and Gujarat with recovery rate recorded between 70 to 78 percent. While recovery rate in Tamil Nadu, Delhi and Maharashtra ranges between 50 and 55 percentage. Although it comes as a relief when compared to other countries, it is still panicky.

Social distancing has been the need of the hour. Nevertheless, let us not distance ourselves from humanity. There are protocols to treat patients and even protect the environment by disinfecting but how are we going to protect them after their recovery?

Let us practice empathy and treat them with humanity. Vendors and essential suppliers are cutting out on their deliveries due to fear. Although this seems to guard themselves, demands are turned down affecting their business and puts the needy in distress, also depriving their right to life. Cutting out people does not save us from getting infected. Only social distancing does. Not just you and me, everybody deserves a peaceful life throughout and after this pandemic.