Human Right Forum raises objection to public hearings during pandemic

Visakhapatnam: The Human Right Forum (HRF) strongly objects to the holding of environmental public hearings across Andhra Pradesh at a time when partial lockdowns are in place and demands that they should be stopped immediately.

HRF State president UG Srinivasulu and general secretary K Sudha pointed out that the AP Pollution Control Board (APPCB) is organising public hearings as if it is blissfully unaware of the raging Covid-19 pandemic, while thousands of people are succumbing to the virus. The PCB is slated to organise six more public hearings in the districts of Prakasam and Nellore till June 26.

The holding of these public hearings is in violation of norms that are to be adhered to during the partial curfew. When PCB officials were asked why these hearings were being held, they contended that they were going by a memo issued by the Ministry of Environment and Forest and Climate Change (MOEF&CC) on September 14 last year which stated that public hearings with not more than 100 persons could be conducted.

The HRF representatives termed it as an appalling explanation. The memo was issued at a time when the first wave of Covid-19 was petering out. To invoke it now, they said, during a deadly second wave when the virus is clearly more virulent and positive cases and fatalities are very high, is irresponsible and totally unacceptable.

A public hearing is no wedding event where one can cap the number of people allowed to attend and participate. It is an important democratic exercise wherein people, confronted with potentially destructive developmental projects, get an opportunity to participate and raise objections, seek clarifications and proffer suggestions. It is highly objectionable to hold these hearings in this manner during a pandemic. It benefits project proponents and the government but does not in any way uphold principles of transparency and democratic procedures, putting people at great risk, they pointed out and demanded that such hearings should be stopped with immediate effect.