Ineffective environmental compliances by corporate adds poverty burden

Ineffective environmental compliances by corporate adds poverty burden

Dear Noble souls and great minds of India

I appeal here to consider following few lines in favour of our nation.

Corporate houses / industries/ mines get environmental clearance (EC) from Ministry of Environment and Forest. MOEF grants EC  under certain statutory conditions. One such condition is community development component. Under this polluting projects are suppose to spend 5% of total asset cost , at least within 25 km radius of the project or establishment. They should undertake development of local population in the areas of health, education, environment, infrastructure, women, children, livelihood, livestock, biodiversity and so on. Unfortunately they do not do that. At the time of reporting or making compliances they show what they are doing under CSR. It has been a practice by all most all the industries, mines and so on. They must understand CSR activity is part of profit and community development what is mentioned in Environmental clearance from MOEF is integral part of  the project cost. For years these corporate houses have been cheating our mother land by evading the expenditure towards environmental compliance. Every year our country looses development possibilities worth of billions of rupees. This is a shear cheating by corporate houses and polluting organisations and a huge lapse by your Ministry. This fund can be of great use in climate change aspects and mitigate many of the climatic vagaries in the country. Environmental issues created by these polluting bodies can contribute in very constructive manner by restoring the environment with the help of local community and make a great difference in the region.

Recommendations:-

1.     Taking the flaw in to consideration, herewith, I recommend  to make changes in  compliance report format. It  should have enough space and privilege to accommodate the detail of expenditure in clear terms. To do this,  the action plan in relation to the project should be well spelt in advance by the corporate to MOEF and Pollution control board, District collector and Director of Environment and Forest, Directorate of Industry and mines, Directorate of concerned Dpts dealing with various development and welfare work in the state. Superficial data input in the project report allows such flaws to happen. We have to be very careful about it.
2.     There should be a watch dog body formed at state level like pollution control board to conduct socio-economic-environmental audit of the community development activities and CSR performances of the companies.
3.     Corporate houses must display the value of the projects under infrastructure development  under community development and CSR in public places as Govt does.
4.     Welfare projects should be linked to existing Govt programs. No duplicity should be allowed in the area in terms of programs and projects. Therefore necessary clearance should be part of the implementation of the projects of corporate houses. It will help state Govt, local panchayats and communities to have direct involvement in the execution of projects.
5.     Social audit should be part and parcel of community development work by corporate houses
6.     Taking above points in to consideration,  mass scale livelihood and livestock development program should be encouraged in such a manner that people in the project area should feel no hostility towards the corporate houses.
7. I am sending this mail to you and marking copies to other stakeholders, activist  groups active on environmental and developmental issues for kind attention and necessary action at their level.

With a hope of quick action on the above issue I express my gratitude for your kind acceptance.

Thanks with warm regards
Bibhu Prasad Mohanty
Independent  Development Consultant, Project Evaluator and Trainer

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Active in
Environmental Awareness
Sustainable development
Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR)
Food and Livelihood Security,
Socio-Economic- Environment Development of poor,
Rural development
HIV/AIDS prevention
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Professional interest
Monitoring and Evaluation, Mentoring and counseling in development projects and Oganisational Development
Development studies along with Coaching,
Peace and Youth

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