Introduction:
- Environmental NGOs and activists play a vital role in influencing the Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) outcomes by advocating for environmental protection, raising public awareness, and ensuring accountability in large projects.
Role of NGOs and Activists:
- Awareness and Advocacy: NGOs educate local communities on the potential environmental impacts of projects, enabling informed participation in public hearings.
- Legal Interventions: Activists often challenge inadequate EIAs through Public Interest Litigations (PILs) in courts to ensure compliance with environmental norms.
- Monitoring and Reporting: NGOs actively monitor project sites and report violations, leading to stricter scrutiny and reconsideration of clearances.
- Lobbying for Policy Reforms: NGOs push for more stringent EIA guidelines and policy changes.
Examples:
- Narmada Bachao Andolan: Led by Medha Patkar, this movement successfully challenged the Narmada Dam project’s environmental clearances, highlighting displaced populations and environmental concerns.
- POSCO Project, Odisha: Environmental groups like Greenpeace played a key role in delaying the POSCO steel plant by highlighting ecological impacts on forests and coastal regions.
- Sterlite Copper Plant, Tamil Nadu: Activists and NGOs like CAG (Citizen consumer and civic Action Group) exposed environmental violations, leading to the plant’s closure due to public health risks.
- Save Western Ghats Movement: NGOs influenced the halt of several large-scale projects by highlighting the ecological significance of the Western Ghats, a UNESCO World Heritage site.
Conclusion:
- NGOs and activists are crucial in ensuring transparent and accountable EIA processes, advocating for sustainable development.
Legacy Editor Changed status to publish October 15, 2024