India's environment is at risk under Narendra Modi govt, heed to reason, advises New York Times editorial
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| Greenpeace protest in Mahan jungles |
By A Representative
The day on which Prime Minister Narendra Modi reached Delhi
from his five day tumultuous tour of New York and Washington and a claimed
successful dialogue with US president Barrack Obama, the New York Times (NYT) has,
in a sharply worded editorial titled India’s “Environment at Risk”, authored by
its powerful editorial board collective, has declared that the Government of
India’s (GoI’s) effort towards “gutting environmental protection laws and
demonizing citizen groups that raise legitimate concerns are no way to move the
nation forward.”
The NYT refers to the Supreme Court of India’s “wise” act of
protecting both the nation’s democracy and environment in its “landmark
decision” last week that orders the government to scrap 214 coal mining
concessions. “Among the cancellations is a concession granted to Essar Energy
and its Indian partner, Hindalco Industries, in the Mahan forest in the state
of Madhya Pradesh”, it says, underling, “Local communities had fought bitterly
to block the mine, which they feared would destroy large tracts of the forest
where they live.”
“Such protests have greatly annoyed the government of Prime
Minister Narendra Modi”, the editorial notes, objecting to the Ministry of
Environment and Forests move to “exempt proposals to expand coal-mining
operations from the public hearings that were previously required.” In fact,
the GoI went so far as support the Intelligence Bureau report which had sought
to accuse Greenpeace India for organizing protests the in the Mahan forests of Madhya
Pradesh. The GoI said Greenpeace was “threatening India’s national economic
security”.
Things did not end here, the NYT says. “Then, Modi’s
government blocked the organization’s financing.” Only in early September, the
situation for Greenpeace India returned to normal, thanks to “the Delhi High
Court ordered the government to lift the ban.” Yet, the Modi government did not
stop undermining environmental norms in India.
Citing how the Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate
Change has lately set up a panel to review various bedrock national laws
protecting forests, wildlife, clean water and clean air, with a view to
overturning requirements industry doesn’t like, the NYT says, this did not seem enough for the GoI.
The government is now seeking to "undo a reformed Land Acquisition Act
that was approved last year and requires fair compensation for and restoration of
lands seized for development. The law requires private companies to obtain the
consent of 80 per cent of the people whose land they wish to acquire. Industry
has complained the new requirements are too onerous”, the NYT concludes.
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