Our immediate priority will be to streamline approval processes: RP Gupta

The Union atmosphere ministry is about to make important revisions to the atmosphere clearance course of because the financial system is regularly rising from the influence of a two-month Covid-19 lockdown and the pandemic. It plans to eliminate situations for environmental clearances that can not be monitored and make the approval time for initiatives as quick as potential. RP Gupta, who took over because the atmosphere secretary this month, spoke to Jayashree Nandi about points just like the ministry’s priorities and forest loss related to coal auctions. Edited excerpts:

You have taken cost at a troublesome time amid the pandemic and an financial slowdown. What are the ministry’s rapid priorities?

Our priorities are to streamline our approval processes. We ought to maintain the atmosphere and air pollution in thoughts [and] that there shall be no compromise so far as environmental readability and air pollution is anxious. But undue processes which haven’t any which means ought to be minimize down. Processes of giving approvals might be simplified. We ought to save time and focus extra on the enforcement of environmental laws. We shouldn’t maintain holding approvals for four to five years. If a venture will not be environmentally-friendly and can’t be given permission, we should say it inside a short while. Similarly, approvals must also be given in a short while. Giving approvals with situations we’re unable to observe will not be required. Have solely these situations that are related. Generally, attempt to keep away from placing situations only for the sake of placing them.

The Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020, is being debated extensively. Will you prolong the deadline for folks to submit their feedback on it?

We should not just because guidelines present for 60 days to ship objections… We already have 30,000 feedback. The request for extending the timeline began 2 to three days after the draft notification was revealed [in March] which implies folks had been extra occupied with in search of extension somewhat than submitting objections and remarks. Some persons are not occupied with seeing an applicable notification.

There have been considerations about regularising environmental violations by initiatives by EIA 2020…

It will probably be untimely for me to touch upon these points. These are objections we now have acquired and we will probably be taking a well-considered view on every of those. So, what would be the last notification, the ultimate resolution can’t be commented upon now.

Plenty of coal mines being auctioned have massive forest covers and have a wealthy biodiversity. Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh have objected to the auctions. How will forests be impacted?

Auction will not be the atmosphere ministry’s concern. Coal mine public sale is finished by the ministry of coal. All I can guarantee is that we are going to see to it that our laws and legal guidelines are complied with. Most of the blocks being auctioned are out of these 204 blocks, which had been allotted earlier and however had been cancelled by Supreme Court for irregularities and corruption. The course of is rather more clear…We are importing about 250 million tonnes of coal yearly regardless of having one of many largest reserves. …why not have it [coal] from our nation…

We have a dedication underneath the Paris Agreement to extend the share of fresh vitality. Do you suppose the coal auctions are sending out a message of continuous to be majorly invested in fossil fuels?

We are utilizing coal. The use has been thought of in our local weather dedication. We will probably be solely substituting imported coal. I don’t discover any contradiction. We will overshoot our local weather commitments. I need to guarantee folks of this. We is not going to solely obtain our nationally decided contribution but additionally a lot earlier.

Scientists and UN our bodies have stated the pandemic is linked to massive scale biodiversity loss. How will India defend its biodiversity hotspots?

Biodiversity or meals habits? We are dedicated to preserving our biodiversity. The pandemic is linked to biodiversity loss and meals habits which might be unnatural to an extent which results in nature taking its revenge.