Syllabus
GS Paper 3 – Environmental conservation; Environmental pollution and degradation; Environmental Impact Assessment.
Context
A conscious focus on green policies is crucial as environmental issues in India impact the survival and the health of millions
Source
The Hindu| Editorial dated 24th June 2024
Create the space for governance with a green heart
As a new term begins for the government and the Lok Sabha, it is imperative to prioritize green concerns. While no government has truly put the environment first, the last administration, in its pursuit of a ‘development’ agenda, was detrimental to environmental interests. Here are the urgent areas that need to be addressed to arrest severe environmental degradation and ensure sustainable development.
Green Governance
Green Governance refers to the policies, processes, and practices that aim to balance economic growth with environmental sustainability. It involves the integration of ecological considerations into decision-making processes at all levels of government and society to promote a sustainable and healthy environment.
Lapses in Green Governance in India
- Soaring Energy Consumption: Despite increasing energy consumption, no significant steps have been taken to reduce emissions, with fossil fuels still dominating the energy mix.
- The Indian leadership frequently addresses climate change but lacks comprehensive policies for effective engagement beyond solar energy promotion.
- Unsustainable Metropolitan Centres:
- Major cities like Delhi and Mumbai suffer from unacceptable levels of air pollution , severely affecting public health and reducing residents’ lifespans.Cities like Bengaluru and Delhi face severe water shortages , with the poor particularly affected as they have to queue for hours to access minimal water supplies.Polluted Rivers: Rivers in cities, such as the Adyar in Chennai and the Yamuna in Delhi, have become open sewers, heavily polluted by untreated sewage and industrial waste.Loss of Green Spaces: Urban green spaces and water bodies have been built over, creating urban heat islands and reducing the quality of life.
- Sewage Treatment: Indian cities treat only about 28% of the sewage they generate, leading to widespread pollution of water bodies.
- Contingency Plans for natural disasters: Lack of comprehensive contingency plans for natural disasters.
- Inadequate disaster preparedness and response lead to higher casualties and economic losses.
- Qualitative Decline of forests: There has been a significant decline in qualitatively important forest cover over the last 20 years, affecting ecosystems and wildlife habitats.
- Low Per Capita Green Cover: India has one of the lowest levels of green cover per capita globally, with only 28 trees per person compared to Canada’s 8,953 and China’s 130.
- Low green cover affects air quality, biodiversity, and ecological balance.
- Questionable Accounting:
- The decline in forest cover is often obscured by including plantation forests and urban tree cover in official statistics, which do not provide the same ecological benefits as natural forests.
- Misleading accounting masks the true extent of deforestation, preventing effective policy responses and conservation efforts.
- Legislative Rollbacks: Recent legislation like the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, which weakens forest protections, needs to be rolled back.
- Weakening forest protections can lead to increased deforestation and environmental degradation, further threatening biodiversity and ecosystem services.
- Lack of Stakeholder Engagement
- The government often fails to engage with stakeholders and affected persons in environmental decision-making processes.
- Excluding stakeholders leads to poorly planned projects that may have severe environmental and social impacts.
- Superficial EIAs:
- Environment Impact assessment (EIAs) have become mere formalities, lacking thorough analysis and genuine consideration of environmental impacts.
- Implications: Superficial EIAs result in projects proceeding without adequate mitigation measures, causing long-term environmental damage.
- The EIA Notification of 2006 has been compromised with numerous amendments, weakening its effectiveness.
- Criticism Ignored:
- Protests and criticisms against environmentally harmful projects are often ignored, leading to ill-considered developments like the Char Dham Highway.
- Ignoring valid criticisms and concerns undermines public trust and can result in environmental disasters and loss of life.
- Greenwashing Issues:
- Policies like green credits and compensatory afforestation, driven by commercial interests, have replaced genuine conservation efforts.
Way Forward
- Adopt Integrated Policy Frameworks: Develop and implement policies that harmonize environmental, economic, and social objectives.
- Strengthen Environmental Ministries: Enhance the authority and resources of environmental ministries to ensure they can influence decisions across all government sectors.
- Interdepartmental Coordination: Establish mechanisms for regular coordination between various government departments to ensure environmental considerations are integrated into all policy areas.
- Enhance Public Engagement: Create platforms for public participation in environmental decision-making processes, such as public hearings and consultations.
- Empower Local Communities: Support community-led environmental initiatives and provide resources for local environmental groups
- Statutory status for EIAs: to prevent arbitrary amendments.
- Elevating EIAs to statutory status ensures better accountability and environmental protections.
Conclusion
The absence of environmental concerns from the election manifestos of major political parties was disappointing. However, it is not too late. The government must take a hard look at the physical health of the country to truly be the steward of the people. Addressing these urgent environmental issues will ensure the survival and health of millions.
Related PYQ
How does the draft Environment Impact Assessment (EIA) Notification, 2020 differ from the existing EIA Notification, 2006?. [ UPSC Civil Services Exam – Mains 2020]
Practice Question
Highlight the importance of integrating green policies into the national development agenda. [150 words]