The Union environment ministry is quietly attempting to rewrite India’s environmental rulebook—one that could silence local voices and fast-track corporate profit over public health. Under a draft amendment to the Environment (Protection) Rules, 1986, the government proposes exempting standalone cement grinding units from prior environmental clearance and mandatory public consultation. This change would directly benefit the Adani Group’s proposed ₹1,400-crore, 6 million tonne per annum cement grinding plant in Ambivli, Kalyan, Maharashtra—where villagers from over 10 nearby villages have already raised fierce resistance over air, water, and land pollution risks. The Wire Their concerns run deep: dense habitation (14.8 lakh people within 10 km), schools within 1 km, and proximity to the Ulhas and Kalu rivers. The Wire The draft rules claim that such units have “lower pollution potential” and thus deserve regulatory leniency—but in doing so, the government is abdicating its constitutional duty to protect citizens’ right to clean air and water. As the oligarchs tighten their grip, democracy and the environment are being sacrificed at the altar of “ease of business.”
Source link for further reading
https://thewire.in/environment/adani-kalyan-cement-plant-proposed-environmental-clearance-govvernment
