Two related developments recently have underlined the importance of using technology for sustainability. At his Independence Day address, Prime Minister Narendra Modi announced that the Himalayan areas of Ladakh, Leh and Kargil will be developed as carbon-neutral regions. For each tonne of CO2 produced, a tonne will be removed.

This sets an important benchmark for other states to follow. However, there are parallel concerns about the rules for environment impact assessment (EIA). The draft rules for EIA are worrying, since there seems to be a dilution of scrutiny in favour of …