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From a gas leak in Bhopal where over 500,000 people were exposed to toxic gas in 1984 to a natural gas blowout in Bhagjan, Assam which burned for around 6 months in 2020 — these incidents and similar ones could’ve been avoided or at least mitigated with regular environmental assessments.
What is an EIA?
An Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) makes a scientific estimate of the environmental cost of a project to ensure development with minimum degradation.
A brief history:
The draft being revamped after nearly 14 years and released during a global pandemic are two amongst the many criticisms the government faced.
Deadline, Translation & Websites
The deadline for public opinion was set on June 10 as per the 60-day public notice period according to the Environmental (Protection) Rules. Thousands of public representations sought an extension of the deadline to August 11th on account of the global pandemic, availability of the draft in only 2 of the 22 languages recognized by the constitution, and inaccessibility of the draft in the State Pollution Control Board websites.
