NEW DELHI, AUG 9
The Environment and Forest Ministry has decided to amend the Environment (Protection) Act of 1986 to make it more punitive and deterrent and modify the procedure to decide expeditiously penalty and punishment.
Accepting a report of a committee set up by the Ministry last December, the ministry decided to put up a draft approach paper on its websites to invite comments from all stakeholders. The new proposed approach envisages involvement of specialised agencies and institutions in the monitoring of compliance of the environment and CRZ conditions.
The proposed amendments will waive off the cap on punishment for very serious offences. Also, such offences will be made cognizable before police and non-bailable, officials said releasing decisions based on the committee’s presentation to Environment Minister Jairam Ramesh and others on July 23.
The committee pointed out that there is no effective monitoring of all conditions stipulated. While private laboratories’ monitoring was found “unreliable” the self-monitoring by the industries was found “not very effective.”
In the new approach proposed to be adopted after consulting all stakeholders, the environment and CRZ conditions will be classified based on the project activities in four phases: Pre-construction, during construction, operational phase and post-operational phase.
