Public Hearing Amidst The COVID-19 Pandemic

In light of the proposed changes to the law governing the environment impact assessment (EIA) process in India, there has been much debate with concerns being raised regarding the legitimacy and efficacy of the proposed process. While the new EIA law is yet to be notified and chances are that the draft notification which was circulated for comments may see some changes when notified finally, the lockdown due to the pandemic has posed new challenges for conducting the EIA, especially the 'public hearings' in light of the social distancing requirements. 'Public hearing' is one of the most crucial aspects of the EIA process. The purpose of organizing a public hearing is twofold - first, it provides those likely to be affected by the project an opportunity to understand the benefits of the project; and second, it provides a platform and opportunity to the local people, who are likely to be affected by the project, to voice their concerns. These concerns are then scrutinized