The Delhi High Court said that it cannot understand why the Centre is refusing from translating the Environment Impact Act (EIA) into all 22 vernacular languages mentioned in the eighth schedule of the Constitution.
The Bench of Justice D N Patel and Justice Prateek said that the Government would have to understand the objections in the local languages in order to draft the EIA therefore what is the problem in translating it in all 22 languages.
Additional Solicitor General (ASG) Chetan Sharma appearing for the Central Government said there was no need to translate into more vernacular languages as it has already received more than 20 lakh responses to date to draft the EIA.
He additionally mentioned that administration will be difficult after translating it to all vernacular languages as the Government will not have the wherewithal to carry out the translations.
He says that there will be a lot of gaps in the drafting due to the translation in every language which will create problems in administration. Even the Constitution does not mandate the notifications to be translated into all languages.
The Court did not agree with this stand and said that in this modern-day it shouldn’t be much of a problem translating. However, it asked the government to put forward any difficulties they are facing in doing the same.
The Court also said that the Constitution mentions that the final notification may not be translated to all languages but does not mention anything about the Draft which is put out for public opinion.
It further said that it does not understand why the Centre is vehemently opposing translating the notification into vernacular languages for the sake of public opinion so that everyone can understand and respond to it.
The court gave the government time till the next hearing date February 25, to put forth all its difficulties in translating the draft in all languages.
On June 30th, a PIL was filed by Tongad which claimed that the EIA 2020 completely supersedes and replaces the existing environmental norms. It said that the notification proposes changes to the existing regime by removing public consultancy in certain cases and reducing public consultancy from45 days to 40 days. It also allowed Post facto approval for projects said the petition.
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