Invite to a Consultation: Amendments to Environmental laws
The Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change has proposed fundamental changes to key environmental laws of India by issuing a notice inviting public comments on the Ministry’s website on 1st July 2022. Comments from the public and State/Union Territory and Local Governments are required to be submitted via email by 21st July 2022.
The proposal is to amend various provisions of the following laws and make several environmental violations a civil offense: Environment Protection Act, 1986, Water (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Public Liability Insurance Act, 1991. Besides, there are fundamental changes proposed in the Forest Rights Act, 2006, Indian Forest Act, 1927, Biological Diversity Act, 2002 and other environmental and forest protection laws.
A collation of the proposed Bills is accessible at this link: https://tinyurl.com/EnvtlLawsAmendment
The changes are so fundamental and far reaching that it behoves the Ministry to accommodate the need of this large and diverse country to meaningfully and deeply consider the proposals, debate them thoroughly and provide informed responses/comments/criticisms in accordance with the Principle of Free, Prior and Informed Consent and the federated spirit of law making in the country. Read the discussion note highlighting some concerns relating to the proposed amendments .
To assess the implications of the proposed changes, and also to propose a pathway for progressive reforms of India’s environmental laws, Environment Support Group in collaboration with the Institute of Public Policy at National Law School of India University is organising a half day consultation on 18th July 2022 (Monday) from 2 pm – 6 pm. We invite you to this consultation and sincerely hope you will be able to participate despite this short notice.
The Consultation will be held in the Training Centre (Ground Floor) of NLSIU campus in Nagarbhavi, Bengaluru. As this is an hybrid event to accommodate participation across the country, links will be sent to those confirming from outside the Bangalore region a few hours before the consultation.
Kindly Register by 16 July 2022.
