An even better question to ask is: How can environmental damage be avoided before it happens? Significantly, the court’s order sets a template for what constitutes environmental damage, a concept worth exploring in greater depth. Environmental damage, including purported long-term damage to ecological services, should be part of the assessment and the EIA notification. This is the time to put trust in science and technical expertise, and create a broader understanding of what environmental damage is. This is the best time to understand how environmental damage impacts ecological services, and how this should reflect in the EIA processes.

Source: Hindustan Times May 08, 2020 13:47 UTC