EIA NOT WELCOMED IN MEGHALAYA

The Northeastern state of Meghalaya has been a very sensitive state when it comes to environmental issues and conflicts. The state covers an area of approximately 22,430 square kilometers and is the wettest region of India, recording an average of 12,000 mm (470 in) of rain a year. Moreover, about 70% of the state is covered by forest, which can be termed as a unique location. The Meghalaya subtropical forests and ecoregion encompasses the state; its mountain forests are distinct from the lowland tropical forests to the north and south. The forests are notable for their biodiversity of mammals, birds, and plants. Unfortunately, despite having such a rich environmental background, Meghalaya has faced some of the biggest environmental and ecological challenges including deforestation and climate change in the recent past. Northeast Today writes

At a time when the people of the state are plagued with the consequences of climate change such as floods, landslides, loss of life and a pandemic, which created both economical and health crises –the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 came as a big shock to the concerned citizens of the state. The EIA, which actually never opened for public debate created fear among the people of the state in the backdrop of recent tragedies such as the Assam’s Baghjan Oil Well Massive fire and Vizag Gas leak. In such a situation, EIA faced strong protest in the state from students body and opposition political parties.

The Khasi Students Union (KSU), the student body of the Khasi community expressed strong opposition against EIA, 2020 citing that the move of the Centre to do away with the public consultation could be an attempt to forcefully mine uranium in the state. KSU has demanded the Centre to immediately withdraw the proposed amendments of the draft EIA notification 2020. KSU has been always vocal on issues related to environment and traditional rights of the people of Meghalaya in the past too.