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New environment minister Anil Dave faces steep challenges ahead

During his two-year tenure, Javadekar worked on a concerted plan to overhaul major regulations and legislations to facilitate 'ease of business' that has led to accusations of diluting environmental safeguards.

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New environment minister Anil Madhav Dave accompanies his predecessor Prakash Javadekar as he leaves after handing over the charge of the ministry, at Paryavaran Bhawan in New Delhi on Wednesday
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Anil Madhav Dave, a low-profile Member of Parliament from Rajya Sabha took over as the Centre's new minister of environment, forest and climate change on Wednesday. Along with his immediate predecessor and party colleague Prakash Javadekar, Dave has joined a league that requires the minister to tread with caution as bold decisions tend to polarise opinion. Dave's is an interesting choice as he has been associated with river conservation causes and was a part of a parliamentary forum on global warming and climate change. Besides, he was also a member of the parliamentary standing committee on science and technology, environment and forests

But, Dave assumes charge at a time when the environment ministry's image among environmentalists and civil society groups has become that of an industry enabler which is opaque in its functioning. Most crucially, the new environment minister also has to carry ahead the legacy of overhauling environmental regulations begun by Javadekar and take decisions on several sticky pending issues.

During his two-year tenure, Javadekar worked on a concerted plan to overhaul major regulations and legislations to facilitate 'ease of business' that has led to accusations of diluting environmental safeguards. Soon after taking charge, Javadekar moved to to commission a report for reviewing the Coastal Regulation Zone (CRZ) notification, 2011, that regulates development on coasts. Later, it also formed a special committee under the chairmanship of former cabinet secretary TSR Subramaniam to recommend overhauling of six central environmental laws. Both committee's drew severe criticism for their lack of public consultation.

Dave will have to soon take a decision on the recommendations of Shailesh Nayak committee report on CRZ notification. The report has said that to facilitate housing growth in Mumbai, the Centre should dilute construction norms in CRZ-II areas. Even in the case of the TSR Subramaniam report, the ministry utilized its recommendations in piecemeal fashion, without much public consultation.

The demarcation of eco-sensitive areas in Western Ghats is another controversial issue that is hanging fire. Under Javadekar, the ministry asked states to demarcate boundaries of ESA's through ground surveys. Barring Tamil Nadu, all have submitted their reports and the states have recommended drastic reduction in ESA areas. Dave will have to steer through this issue with caution as the states want increased developmental activity across the world heritage site.

With his Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh background, it will also be interesting to see how Dave tackles the issue of commercializing genetically modified crops. The Sangh has routinely opposed even field trials of GM crops. Currently, a proposal to commercially cultivate genetically modified mustard is pending approval with the ministry.

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