EIA guidelines disappoint Industry and activists both

New Delhi, Sep 22 (UNI) The Confederation of Indian Industry(CII) today expressed disappointment over the new Environment Impact Assessment(EIA) guidelines, notified on September 14, saying it has failed to meet expectations of the industry, whereas environment activists criticised the regulations for being pro-construction industry.

''The final notification does not take into account the key issues that were taken up by CII with the Ministry of Forest and Environment while discussing the draft notification,'' Mr K P Nyati, principal advisor to the Confederation on environment said. and gave an elaborate account of their main objections.

In the new guidelines, there is no cut down on time taken for granting EC, as publicized. In fact, with the introduction of multiple stages in the new EC process viz: Screening, Scoping and elaborate Public Consultation, the actual time taken is certainly going to be much more than the earlier regime.

The second issue that remains unresolved is that of exemption of certain expansion or modernization and product -mix change projects, he said.

previously projects below Rs 50 crore for expansion or modernization of certain categories did not need to apply for EC.

This threshold has been given a go-by in the new system and no threshold has been introduced.

'' It implies that all such projects irrespective of size will now need to necessarily apply for EC. This is a kind of a penalty on progressive measures taken by industry to stay competitive. Any measures towards resource conservation and improving productivity will now necessarily have to go for EC, which is also, under the new regime, more time consuming.'' the CII said.

''We had suggested that enhanced capacity up to a certain limit (say 25 per cent of the installed capacity) should not be considered as expansion/ modernization, but this has been completely ignored in the new Notification", said Mr Nyati.

The third factor that has been overlooked by the EIA Notification relates to product mix change projects. All product mix change projects now need to apply for EC, Nyati said.

Change in product mix or ratio is a reality in today's competitive world.. Many product-mix change requirements are received from the customers at the last minute. Under the new regime, each and every case will need to apply for EC and wait for sixty days (real time could be much more) to get the green signal.

This has a very real time potential danger of the business opportunities evaporating.

One another apprehension is that though the time frame promised for EC is sixty days, it could well be beyond that as it is now left on the concerned authorities to decide the rigour of their 'due diligence'.

The industry fears that the authorities, to safeguard themselves from any controversies in future, will play safe and in their wisdom tend to ask for complete EIA and public consultation in most cases.

In such an event, it would take over a year to obtain environment clearance, the CII said.

MORE UNI NAZ SAM BS1338