Min urges constitutional recognition of ‘environment’ as a specific subject

Kolkata: State Environment minister Chandrima Bhattacharya on Tuesday demanded the inclusion of ‘Environment’ as a subject in one of the lists of the Indian Constitution—Union, State or Concurrent—for better and more effective management of environmental issues.

“Environmental pollution has emerged as a major issue in today’s world. However, ‘Environment’ is not listed as a specific subject in the Union, State or Concurrent Lists of the Indian Constitution. In my observation, this results in gaps in addressing pollution effectively. Departments of Environment at both the Centre and state levels have been constituted based on consensus reached in various seminars dealing with environmental matters. I will urge the Centre to list ‘Environment’ as a specific subject in one of the Constitutional Lists,” Bhattacharya said during a question-and-answer session in the State Assembly, responding to a query from BJP legislator Sankar Ghosh.

Ghosh urged the minister to frame specific rules or issue clear guidelines under the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) framework, which mandates that building, construction, area development projects and townships must obtain prior Environmental Clearance (EC) from the State Environment Impact Assessment Authority (SEIAA) for projects with a built-up area of 20,000 sq. metre or more.

“Some projects are coming up near natural or protected forest areas in North Bengal, claiming their built-up area is 19,999 sq. metre—just under the threshold. The movement of so many people, lights and garbage disposal is having an adverse impact on forests and wildlife,” Ghosh said.

Bhattacharya assured that the issue would be examined to determine the appropriate threshold for construction near sensitive areas to ensure proper forest protection. She also urged Ghosh to advocate at the Centre for including ‘Environment’ as a Constitutional subject.

Highlighting ongoing efforts, Bhattacharya noted that the National Green Tribunal (NGT) has issued 24 directives for environmental protection, out of which eight key areas have been prioritised: air, water, the Ganga, noise, firecrackers, solid and liquid waste, East Kolkata Wetlands and the Sunderbans. Steps have been taken to address pollution in all these areas.