Context:
As a new government term begins for the Lok Sabha, prioritizing environmental concerns should be paramount. Historically, no government has prioritized environmental issues, with the previous administration’s developmental agenda proving actively detrimental to the environment. To mitigate this, urgent adoption of green policies is crucial, even as the country pursues its middle-income economic goals.
Relevance:
GS3- Environmental Pollution and Degradation
Mains Question:
A conscious focus on green policies is crucial as environmental issues in India impact the survival and the health of millions. Discuss what should be the approach of the new government in this regard. (10 Marks, 150 Words).
India’s Vulnerability to Climate Change:
- India’s vulnerability to climate change is pronounced, despite frequent mentions by leadership. Actions to reduce emissions remain inadequate, with insufficient focus on building resilience, ensuring food security, and securing essential resources.
- As floods, famines, heatwaves, wildfires, water shortages, and droughts become more frequent, there is an urgent need for contingency plans to safeguard vulnerable populations.
- Measures like updating building codes, preserving natural storm barriers such as mangrove forests, and establishing funds for evacuation and rehabilitation are critical but neglected responsibilities of the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change.
- India suffers from one of the world’s lowest green cover levels per capita, with only 28 trees per person compared to Canada’s 8953 and China’s 130.
- Qualitatively important forest cover has markedly declined in the last two decades, exacerbated by inadequate urban forestry management.
- The degradation of forests has been obscured by dubious accounting practices that include plantation forests and urban tree cover.
- Legislation like the Forest (Conservation) Amendment Bill, 2023, hastily passed by the outgoing Parliament, needs reconsideration and replacement with robust new protections.
- India’s metropolitan areas, including Delhi, Mumbai, and numerous cities across the Gangetic belt, face severe air pollution issues that significantly diminish residents’ life expectancy.
- Cities like Bengaluru and Delhi are grappling with water scarcity, forcing the underprivileged to endure long queues for basic needs.
- Rivers like the Adyar in Chennai and the Yamuna in Delhi have turned into polluted waterways due to neglect.
- Urban green spaces and water bodies have been encroached upon, leading to the formation of heat islands.
- Smaller cities face similar challenges and require timely intervention to prevent reaching crisis levels akin to larger metros.
- The national sewage treatment system, treating only about 28% of generated sewage, urgently requires comprehensive reform.
- In summary, addressing these environmental challenges requires a profound shift towards green policies and stringent environmental protections at both national and local levels, essential for the well-being and survival of millions of Indians.
Destruction in the Himalayas:
- Destruction in the Himalayas is a critical concern. Climate change has had disproportionately severe impacts on India’s mountain regions.
- Glaciers are rapidly shrinking, with some already vanished, and it’s projected that up to 80% of their volume could disappear by the end of this century.
- This shift in rainfall and temperature patterns threatens the water and food security not only of mountain dwellers but also of much of North India.
- Despite significant protests and fasting by thousands in Ladakh demanding governmental action, their pleas were ignored, possibly because their region lacks electoral sway.
- Similar neglect affects wetlands and other marginal landscapes crucial for biodiversity conservation.
Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA):
- Another issue is public participation. The Indian government’s longstanding disregard for stakeholders and affected communities lies at the heart of many environmental challenges.
- Environmental Impact Assessments (EIA) have been reduced to mere formalities, disregarding protests and criticisms.
- The absence of effective opposition has led to hasty and poorly considered decisions, exemplified by projects like the Char Dham Highway, rushed through with insufficient environmental scrutiny.
- This has resulted in irreparable damage to Uttarakhand’s river valleys, exacerbating risks such as the tunnel collapse in November 2023.
- Moreover, the integrity of the 2006 EIA Notification has been steadily undermined by numerous amendments over the past five years. To prevent further sabotage, EIA mechanisms should be legally mandated to ensure their effectiveness and impartiality.
Greenwashing:
- Fifth, the issue of greenwashing is critical. Policies driven by commercial interests, such as green credits and compensatory afforestation, have supplanted genuine conservation efforts.
- True sustainable development requires actions that prioritize environmental benefits over mere profitability. There is a pressing need to strengthen enforcement mechanisms and regulatory bodies to uphold genuine environmental laws.
Conclusion:
These concerns are not trivial; they profoundly affect the well-being and survival of millions of people. It was deeply disappointing that these issues were absent from the election manifestos of major political parties. However, there is still an opportunity for the government to fulfill its role as a responsible steward by prioritizing the physical health of the nation.
