For some time now, industry, government and regulatory agencies have been persistently talking about how environmental regulations have throttled the country's growth.
They have raged on about how the system of forest and environment clearances has forced India's credit ratings to its nadir. And they have bitterly complained about how environmentalists were holding the country and its people to ransom.
All of which is unadulterated hogwash, says a new assessment by Centre for Science and Environment (CSE).
CSE has done a comprehensive analysis of environment and forest clearances granted by the Indian government in the period of the 11th Five Year Plan - from 2007 till August 2011. The study looks at five key sectors - thermal power, hydropower, cement, iron and steel and mining - and comes out with hard data to prove that the scale of clearances has been nothing less than “unprecedented".
“Environmental regulations are seen as impeding growth, but where is the impediment? We are finding that despite all the browbeating, almost every project is getting cleared with frightening consistency, making a complete mockery of our regulatory systems," said Sunita Narain, CSE director general, while releasing the assessment report here on Thursday. Read the full report here.
Source: Washington Bangla Radio, USA.
