The Union ministry of environment and forests (moef) has finally come out with its much-awaited new environmental clearance (ec) process. The draft environment impact assessment (eia) notification dated September 15, 2005 replaces the existing one, and is open for public comment till November 15, 2005 after which the final process will be notified.

moef has proposed a number of major changes. At the outset, it is clear the primary objective of the new process is to reduce the time taken for a project to acquire environmental clearance. moef has admitted the earlier ec took time and was cumbersome. But is reduction in clearance time at the cost of environmental and social concerns? Sadly, yes. Past experience shows project proponent perceive the eia report as a hurdle. They, and consultants hired by them to prepare the report, presume the document is meant to justify the project and is not an independent exercise to determine the environmental and social viability of a project. Still, moef has left the task of preparing the report (and supplying all project-related data) to a project proponent, and not an independent body.

Also, the manner in which projects are categorised raises questions. (In the new process, the Centre will clear Category a projects while state governments will clear category b projects. There exists an a / b category, and the expert appraisal committee at the Centre will decide who clears such projects.) For instance, a diesel-based power plant more than 50 megawatt (mw) in capacity can be set up only after central clearance; for a coal-based plant, the Centre steps in only if it is more than 500 mw in capacity. Isn't a 50 mw coal-based plant equally or more polluting than an equivalent diesel plant? What is the basis of such categorisation?

Construction projects, too, are problem-riddled. Only projects with a built-up area of more than 1 lakh square metres will require central clearance. Absurd: this clause exempts almost all kinds of construction (including huge shopping malls, office complexes and residential apartments) from central scrutiny. Instead of