What role do environmental NGOs and activists play in influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India? Cite four examples with all important details.
Environmental NGOs and activists serve as crucial watchdogs and advocates, significantly influencing Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes for major projects in India. They scrutinize EIA reports, highlight procedural flaws, mobilize public opinion, lead grassroots movements, and often resort to legal challenges, ensuring greater accountability and adherence to environmental safeguards.
Here are four prominent examples:
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Niyamgiri Mining (Odisha): Local Dongria Kondh tribes, supported by environmental groups like Survival International, successfully opposed Vedanta's bauxite mining project in their sacred hills. Their persistent activism highlighted environmental degradation and violation of forest rights, ultimately leading to the rejection of environmental clearance for the mining.
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Sardar Sarovar Dam (Narmada Bachao Andolan - NBA): Led by Medha Patkar, NBA tirelessly protested the massive displacement and ecological impact of this multi-state dam. While the project wasn't halted, their sustained activism significantly delayed it and brought critical national and international attention to rehabilitation and environmental safeguards, leading to policy shifts.
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Athirappilly Hydroelectric Project (Kerala): Environmental groups and local communities have successfully stalled this project for decades. They consistently highlighted its irreversible impact on the unique biodiversity of the Western Ghats, particularly the forests, waterfalls, and indigenous livelihoods, preventing its environmental clearance.
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Goa's Linear Projects (Mollem): Activists and citizen groups fiercely opposed the railway double-tracking, highway expansion, and power lines through Mollem National Park. Their protests emphasized the devastating ecological consequences, leading to ongoing legal battles and immense public pressure that has put these projects under significant scrutiny.
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Important Questions from GS3
Examine the pattern and trend of public expenditure on social services in the post-reforms period in India. To what extent this has been in consonance with achieving the objective of inclusive growth?
What are the causes of persistent high food inflation in India? Comment on the effectiveness of the monetary policy of the RBI to control this type of inflation.
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What is the present world scenario of intellectual property rights with respect to life materials? Although, India is second in the world to file patents, still only a few have been commercialized. Explain the reasons behind this less commercialization.
What were the factors responsible for the successful implementation of land reforms in some parts of the country? Elaborate.
