UNEP COMMENDS UNION ENVIRONMENT
MINISTRY’S NOTIFICATION FOR ENVIRONMENT IMPACT ASSESSMENT FOR
MAJOR URBAN PROJECTS
The United Nations
Environment Programme (UNEP) at The Hague has commended the Union
Ministry for Environment & Forests for bringing town planning
under the provisions of Environment Protection Act.
Complimenting Shri
T.R. Baalu, the Union Minister for environment & Forests,
for the notification issued two days ago, UNEP has said the proposed
requirement of Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) for the purposes
of adequate town planning is a major step forward. UNEP considers
environment impact assessment a valuable instrument to further
minimize and prevent the deterioration of rivers, coastal areas
and other water bodies receiving domestic and industrial waste
water discharges. This measure will help control water-borne diseases,
an important effort in eradicating poverty, it said.
Dr. Veerle Vandeweerd,
Coordinator Head – Regional Seas, of the UNEP’s Global Programme
of Action for the Protection of the Marine Environment from Land-based
Activities (GPA) at The Hague also congratulated Shri T.R. Baalu
and the Union Environment Ministry for their effort in drafting
a national programme of action for protecting the marine environment
from land-based activities.
The communication
pointed out that UNEP had recently organized in cooperation with
the South Asian Cooperative Environment Programme (SACEP) a regional
meeting to discuss and enhance the implementation of the GPA in
the South Asian Seas Region. As a follow up to the recommendations
of this meeting held in Colombo from April 28 to 30, 2003, the
UNEP/GPA coordination office is supporting several pilot projects
to demonstrate the best management practices in addressing land-based
sources of marine pollution, the communication said.
The Hague-based UNEP
further said that one of the pilot projects "Mini Treatment
Plant of Domestic & Industrial Wastes" will be implemented
in Lakshadweep. The UNEP/GPA, in cooperation with the governments
in the South Asian Region, is preparing establishment of a regional
forum on municipal waste water management. The aim of this programme
is to exchange experience and expertise among the South Asian
Seas countries in multi-stake holding and to enhance innovative
partnership and capacity building to successfully improve the
implementation of projects. The recent notification on environment
impact assessment of the Union Environment Ministry will serve
as a follow up input and the UNEP looks forward to continuing
its valuable cooperation with the Indian Government in addressing
environmental issues, the communication said.
