Notice to Centre on plea against amendment to EIA notification

MADURAI

: The Madras high court on Friday ordered notice to the central government on a plea which challenged an amendment dated August 22, 2013 in the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2006.

A division bench of justices M Sathyanarayanan and B Pugalendhi passed the order while hearing a public interest litigation filed by Fatima, a resident of Tuticorin district.

The petitioner stated that

the EIA Notification

was issued in 2006 mandating prior environmental clearance for activities listed in the schedule to the notification. She stated that highway projects are covered under item 7 (f) of the schedule.

By way of the amendment, the

Union ministry

of environment, forests and climate change had granted exemption from obtaining environmental clearance for highway projects up to 100km involving additional land acquisition of 40m width on existing alignment and 60m on new alignment.

She stated that taking advantage of the amendment, two-lane highways are being converted to four and six-lane. She stated that tree felling, conversion of agricultural lands, alteration of

hydrology

are irreversible. The purpose of the EIA Notification is to ensure that development is sustainable, however, by granting exemption, the ministry has destroyed the only tool that ensured sustainable development.

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