Let firms hold their own public hearings to get green thumbs up: Govt

Should companies that want to set up large projects be empowered to conduct their own public hearings as part of their environmental clearan...

Should companies that want to set up large projects be empowered to conduct their own public hearings as part of their environmental clearance? Yes, says the Centre’s new norms, because this will speed up the whole process.

But at the Environment Ministers’ meeting here today, several states reacted sharply to this radical proposal. While they all agree that the current clearance process is protracted and cumbersome, they raised questions of possible conflict of interest if this proposal is pushed through.

This proposal is part of the ambitious new plan for conducting Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) under which the Centre has trimmed down the list of projects which require New Delhi’s clearance: to a list of 19 including large dams, nuclear power plants and ship-breaking yards.

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According to the Central government, there are safeguards to ensure fairness: proceedings will be recorded on videotape, posted on the Ministry’s website and a ‘‘prominent person of the area’’ has to chair the proceedings.

For projects not on the ‘‘Central list,’’ what’s proposed is a nodal screening agency that will decide which project needs to come to New Delhi for an OK. It will formulate terms of reference for the studies required for EIA and address concerns like forestry, biodiversity and wildlife.

Those allowed to conduct their own hearings, as per the new norms, include projects like automobile units, organic chemicals, construction of all projects in urban areas generating more than 50 kilos of waste and mining.

Public hearing is a vital part of environmental clearance where local residents and NGOs are invited to register their objections, if any.

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Considering the record and the motivation of companies on this front, many states thought it was ‘‘leaving too much to them.’’

The logic for taking it away from state environment departments is that it jams the entire clearance process because of delays in holding public hearings.

To validate this data, the Centre proposes to set up an Environment Information Centre, countering the request of the states, that there has be an independent agency that will need to cross-check what applicants submit.

For another category of projects, a similar screening body will be set up under the state government