New Delhi, 3 December (H.S.): Congress Parliamentary Party chairperson Sonia Gandhi accused the central government on Wednesday of steering India toward an ecological catastrophe through unchecked illegal mining, deforestation, diluted environmental laws, rising uranium in groundwater, and toxic air in Delhi-NCR.
In an op-ed published in an English newspaper, Gandhi highlighted the recent decision to exempt hills under 100 meters from mining restrictions, endangering 90 percent of the Aravalli range already ravaged by illegal operations.She described Delhi-NCR's worsening winter smog as a persistent public health crisis, with air pollution alone causing 34,000 deaths annually in just 10 cities, while Central Ground Water Board reports revealed uranium exceeding safe limits in 13-15 percent of Delhi's samples—levels even higher in Punjab and Haryana.
Gandhi criticized policies like the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Act 2023, Draft EIA 2020, and Coastal Regulation Zone rules 2018 for prioritizing corporate exploitation over conservation, weakening safeguards and tribal rights in forest areas.She warned that sidelining scientific input, transparency, and local communities in policymaking would exact a heavy toll in the coming years, as forests, mountains, and coasts face mounting threats.
Calling for urgent action, Gandhi urged strict crackdowns on illegal mining, immediate halts to deforestation, reviews of weakened laws, and bolstering institutions like the National Green Tribunal to secure clean air, safe water, and a sustainable future for India.
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Hindusthan Samachar / Jun Sarkar
