Environmental Impact Assessment is a process or study which predicts the effect of a proposed industrial/infrastructural project on the environment. It prevents the proposed activity/projects from being approved without proper oversight or taking adverse consequences into account. The new EIA draft of India is widely criticized for its problematic changes in rules. Experts believe most of the provisions in the new draft of EIA proves to be a reghressive departure from the earlier version.

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The union ministry of the environment, forest and climate change unveiled the draft to the public in March 2020 seeking to replace the 2006 version of the law. The number of people who are opposing the new draft is increasing in daily manner. On 30th June, the Delhi high court extended the deadline for the public to express their opinions on the EIA Draft 2020. August 11 is the last day for public to state their objection through sending mail to eia2020-moefcc@gov.in

One of the main reason behind the draft being opposed by experts is the post-facto environmental clearance for several large scale projects, including industrial projects, which have potential to cause severe damage to the environment. For instance, all inland waterway projects and national highways expansion projects need not obtain environmental clearance before the work on the projects begin. Instead, the developers can obtain a clearance after starting the project which is called as post-facto environmental clearance. Earlier, in 2020 Supreme court disapproved this practice saying that it will lead to irreparable degradation of the environment.

The EIA draft which weakens the public consultation process by reducing the number of days within which the public can express their opinions, also suggests that the violation of environmental laws can be reported only by government authorities or the developers of the project. It means that public people and environmental activists cannot raise voice against any project like in the past. The draft asks the violators themselves to self-report against them about breaking the law.

Followed by several people from public and political party members, actor Karthi Sivakumar becomes the first cinema celebrity to raise voice against the EIA 2020 draft. The actor, in his post, has said that the proposed EIA 2020 Draft has instilled new fears in the minds of the common man and experts.

He said constructing heavy industries with irrecoverable cost cannot be considered as a success and development in his post. He said that the endeavor will be seen as an exercise to systematically dismantle a promising future of our generations to come.

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He questioned the government on the Posto facto clearance and diluted impetus on public hearing and public consultation. He also questioned why the draft has been published only in Hindi and English when there are millions of Indians from Kanyakumari to Kashmir who knows only their native language. He insisted the government to publish the draft in all the languages.

The actor who questioned the emergency of implementing this draft amidst COVID 19 pandemic, asked public to raise their voice against it by sending mail to eia2020-moefcc@gov.in

Here his press release :

As soon as Karthi released his statement, supporters of BJP party stormed into his comment section to criticize the actor and his knowledge in the matter. They alleged that the actor is pretending to support people as theatre owners released statement against his family for releasing movie in OTT platform.

Check out some of their reactions below :

லே முட்டா அந்த வரைவு அறிக்கை 83 பக்கம் கொண்டது
நாயே நீ எத்தனை பக்கம் படிச்ச இது எத்தனாவது பக்கத்துல இருக்கு
ஒழங்கு மயிரா நடிச்சமா போனாமனு இருக்கணும் உன் கருத்து புண்டைய உன் பொண்டாட்டிகிட்ட சொல்லு கேட்பா
நாங்க என்ன மயிருக்குல கேட்கணும் அப்ப எங்களுக்கு அறிவில்லையா நாயே

— Vijaydharshan (@Vijaydharshan19) July 28, 2020

பொத்தாம் போதுவா அறிக்கை.

கடைசி வரை என்ன பிரச்சினை என்று சொல்லவே இல்லை 🙄

— சரவணன் (@Saravana_offici) July 28, 2020

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நீ சுற்றுப்புற சூழல் expert-ஆ? அதைப்பற்றி உனக்கு என்ன தெரியும்? ‘வரைவு அறிக்கை’ என்றால் அர்த்தம் தெரியுமா? உன்னுடைய இந்த பதிவு தமிழ் மற்றும் ஆங்கிலத்தில் மட்டுமே உள்ளது. அதை எப்படி மற்ற மாநில மக்கள் மற்றும் மத்திய அரசு புரிந்து கொள்ள முடியும்.

— 🇮🇳 Venkat 🇮🇳 Subramanian 🇮🇳 (@Venkatks711) July 29, 2020

காலையில்…!!!
சிவகுமார் குடும்ப படங்களை தியேட்டரில் வெளியிட மாட்டோம்…

EIA2020 க்கு எதிராக போராளியாகினார் கார்த்தி
மாலையில்…!🤔🤔🤔 pic.twitter.com/kuuMRxcucx

— கருப்பசாமி ரமேஷ் கண்ணா (@RameshkannaK) July 29, 2020

கருப்பர் கூட்டத்தை கண்டிச்சு அறிக்கை விட்டியா? இப்ப மட்டும் எதற்கு போராளி வேடம்? திரையில் நடிக்கிறதை மட்டும் பாரு

— Vetri vel… Hindu.. Bjp….🇮🇳 (@vetriii) July 28, 2020

Comment your views on this statement of Karthi and the reactions he is receiving for the supporters of ruling government !!