Centre agrees to translate draft EIA into 22 vernacular languages: ASG informs Delhi HC
Aug 27, 2021
New Delhi [India], August 27 : The Delhi High Court on Friday was informed by the Additional Solicitor General (ASG) that the Union Government principally has agreed to translate the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) into 22 vernacular languages.
While hearing the review petition of the Centre, a bench of Justice DN Patel and Justice Prateek Jalan granted more time to the Union of India to translate the draft EIA in 22 vernacular languages after taking note of the submissions made by the Senior Advocate (ASG)
The court deferred the matter for October 21, 2021, while granting more time to the Union of India in this regard.
Earlier the bench had asked the central government whether there is any problem if the Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) draft is taken out in several languages as many people will not be able to read a draft of public interest that is in English and Hindi.
Earlier, the Centre had told Delhi High Court that it would lead to "administrative chaotic" to sweep in all the vernacular languages in the draft notification. Lawyers submitted that there are administrative difficulties in the implementation of the translation of 22 languages.
The Union Environment Ministry had filed the review petition after the court passed an order on a plea by Vikrant Tongad seeking modification in the court's earlier order to extend the time for public comments on the draft EIA notification 2020 by a period of 60 days from the date of uploading the translated versions of the draft notification in all the languages mentioned in Schedule VIII.
The Delhi High Court, earlier had extended the time granted to the general public to give their suggestions for the Draft Environmental Impact Assessment (EIA) 2020 till August 11 and observed there was ambiguity in the notification dated May 8 which extended the time limit to give the common public its suggestion for draft notification.
