EIA 2020 draft must be withdrawn, says Rahul Gandhi

"The purpose of the EIA 2020 draft is clear -Loot of the Nation. This is another shocking example of what all the BJP government at the Centre has been doing to help its handful of 'suit-buit' friends who have been looting the resources of the country," the Congress leader said in a tweet.

"EIA 2020 draft must be withdrawn to stop Loot Of The Nation and environmental destruction," his post further read.

The tweet comes a day after Rahul, in a Facebook post, said that the new Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 draft which has been placed by the BJP government for public feedback, could potentially unleash widespread environmental destruction and mayhem across India,

"Not only does it have the potential to reverse many of the hard-fought gains that have been won over the years in the battle to protect our environment, but it could also potentially unleash widespread environmental destruction and mayhem across India," Gandhi said.

"Rahul said that as per EIA draft 2020 if labelled 'strategic," highly polluting industries such as coal mining and other mineral mining will no longer require Environmental Impact Assessment.

Gandhi said neither highways nor railway lines passing through dense forests and other eco-sensitive areas, that will result in the massive hacking down of trees, leading to the destruction of habitats of thousands of endangered species, require Environmental Impact Assessment.

"This EIA 2020 draft is a disaster. It seeks to silence the voice of communities who will be directly impacted by the environmental degradation it unleashes. I urge every Indian to rise up and protest against it," he opined.

Gandhi warned, "If EIA 2020 is notified by the Government, the long term consequences of the widespread environmental degradation will be catastrophic for us and future generations of Indians."

He said the country's youth, who has always been at the forefront of every battle to protect the environment, must take up this cause and make it their own.

"A fight to protect our environment cuts across political and ideological beliefs," he stressed.

On Aug 6, Congress MP Jairam Ramesh had asked Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar that the draft EIA 2020 draft be kept in abeyance till the Parliamentary standing committee completes its deliberations on hearings.

The minister has said that the Centre has not yet finalised the draft Environment Impact Assessment Notification 2020.