Moulting India: Saga of Growth vis-a-vis Environment and Biodiversity

Photograph by the Author

A multi-cultural, multi-lingual and vibrant nation of 140 Crore people, India was considered backward and "Developing" for more than six decades. Despite having a large amount of natural wealth and laborious youth, the country lagged behind and the world viewed it as a poor and regressive country. The situation, however, has radically changed. India is now a country that has a powerful voice whose opinions/suggestions are taken seriously by the world. India has come a long way and worked significantly well in poverty elimination, sanitation, health, environment and biodiversity. In the field of attaining a clean and salubrious environment, India has taken the lead and implemented many eco-friendly steps to mitigate pollution. 

India, a culturally rich vibrant nation of 140 Crore people and the seventh largest country in the world area-wise, hovered with the tag of a "Developing Country" for more than six decades. Touted by Europeans and Americans as the country of "Snake-charmers" and superstition, the country often looked to the Western world for help. Corruption and scams were rampant and the benefits of schemes were not reaching the people they were meant for. The money from welfare schemes was being siphoned off by the intermediaries. The pathetic situation was reflected in the candid confession of the then PM, who admitted that only 15 paise out of every Rupee spent by the government was reaching the poor. The nexus of contractors, bureaucrats and politicians was squeezing the people and nation; projects kept crawling and took longer to complete. The nation with a glorious past and rich heritage was about to shatter. 

The Change

The general election of 2014 brought a breeze of change. Suffocated people gave a clear mandate against corruption, misgovernance and lethargy; the ruling coalition was vanquished. The new government, with commitment and zeal, was sworn in with Narendra Damodar Das Modi as Prime Minister, who prefers to be known as "Pradhan Sevak" (Prime worker) rather than "Pradhan Mantri" (Prime Minister). The newly formed Modi government has had no time to waste. Amid heavy negativity, the new government started to function. Firmly taking decisive strides, they started clearing the mucks. It was a period of decision-making. Modi government started working in mission mode; rolling out plans and schemes. Systemic changes were made to make the life of people easy and hassle-free. As expected from a people-centric government, it aimed to fulfil the aspirations and expectations of the people. The changes started appearing soon.

Challenges and achievements

The pathetic conditions before 2014 warranted express actions parallel to those which take a long to show the effect. The government successfully tried to bring a paradigm shift from “policy paralysis” to proactive decision-making and implementation of the programmes/schemes on the ground level with a holistic and inclusive approach. Most of them have started fruiting, and people perceived the positive impacts. The government took problems head-on, concentrating on poverty alleviation, infrastructure development, robust health services, sanitisation and clean India (Swaksh Bharat), the environment and sustainability. Iron will, concerted efforts, dedication and commitment were needed to combat complex problems and negativity. PM Modi says every scheme has three orders of impact. Taking care of impending peripheral aspects and treating impediments as opportunities, problems were solved singularly.

The ailing and crawling system started walking and then running. “The country is witnessing systematic work in mission mode. We changed the mindset of power to the mindset of service, we made the welfare of the people our medium.” PM Modi tweeted. He expressed his feelings further in a tweet, “In the last 9 years Dalits, deprived, tribal women, poor women, middle class, everyone is experiencing a change.” He was pointing towards the perceptible change in the systemic outlook. The results were bound to be positive, and it did. Long-term goals and results were the primary concern while making policy, not only the immediate benefits. Tweeting about it, he wrote, “In the policies our government made after 2014, not only the initial benefits were taken care of, but second and third order effects were also given priority.” 

The perceptible change in the scenario is in perfect harmony with the work culture of the new government. Commitment to Service, Good governance and the welfare of all became the Mantras. Emancipation of the poor and marginalized occupied the Omphalos position. Increasing the income of the average people in general, and farmers in particular, was the priority. The long-overlooked woes of the farmers pushed them to suicide and their shattered families suffered a lot. A substantial, not the usual eye-wash needed to be done. 

The Environment, and its importance

The environment is most important and directly related to the health and well-being of people. A healthy mind resides in a healthy body; the prerequisite of a healthy society is a clean and salubrious environment. A clean environment is our heritage. Learned primogenitors had emphasised the importance of forests, wild animals, flora and fauna. Ironically, however, the environment was on the lowest pedestal of priorities, received a supercilious attitude and was often bypassed. Talking about forests and wildlife, rivers and water bodies was considered a flight of fancy. Poor air quality, asphyxiating water bodies and gasping rivers presented a pathetic and concerning scenario. The priorities were different so was the approach. The functionaries and the bureaucracy were callous. Post-2014 new government kept a vigilant eye on it. Getting environmental clearance was a cumbersome and tedious “formality”. It took at least 700 days for a project to get clearance. Considering the importance of the environment and development, a portal was developed to automate the process. PARIVESH portal helps clear the proposal within 75 days with transparency. The corruption-infested system was an impediment. The feudal mindset had to give way to a sensitive, sympathetic and constructive approach towards the people and the problems.

Improvement of the environment, along with the life of people and farmers, is essential. Forest and wildlife are an inseparable part of the tribal community. Concrete steps were taken with an eye on dwindling forest cover, habitat destruction and vanishing wildlife. During the quinquennium between 2017-18 to 2021-22 government spent Rs 3290 Crores for the cause of environment and Biodiversity conservation. It helped a lot to attain long-term goals and a secure future. 

Forests, Wetlands and wildlife

Significantly, the total forest area, as of now, is 7,13,789 Sq Km (December 2022); about 21.72% of the total geographical area of India. Expanded forest cover and habitat improvement resulted in an increased wildlife population. The tiger population has now become 3167, the highest world over. Effective control of poaching and close monitoring saved Rhino and Elephant populations. India is the home of 30,000 elephants, 3000 rhinoceros and 675 Asiatic lions. Once flourishing in the Indian jungle, Cheetahs have been reintroduced in Kuno National Park of Madhya Pradesh. India possesses rich biodiversity. The fact that the country has about 8% of the world's biodiversity despite having a mere 2.4% of the total landmass of the earth testify it. Not only terrestrial ecosystems, but wetlands also play a pivotal role. They are ecologically important, sustain local flora and fauna and support millions of people the world over. In our country, during “Amrit Kaal” 12 wetlands have been added as Ramsar sites totalling 75 in all. 

Namami Gange

The river system of India is vast and varied. The rivers, especially Ganga, have the intrinsic quality to rejuvenate and clean themselves, provided they get a bearable amount of pollutants. Ganga and its subsidiaries were dangerously polluted, for they received a direct discharge from factories and sewerage. An integrated "Namami Gange" project was launched in June 2014 to cleanse Ganga and its subsidiaries. The drainages were diverted to STPs for treating waste and sewage discharge before emptying into Ganga or other major rivers. Funds were released and toilets were constructed in villages of five states of Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and Bengal along river Ganga. 4480 villages declared ODF. 

Air Pollution, the dread monster

Air pollution, like other pollution, is a monster which insidiously enters the body and causes severe ailments. The major contributing factor to it is vehicular emissions. The mushrooming outdated vehicles spew obnoxious gases by burning fossil fuel in their Internal Combustion Engine. It pumps in progressively more GHG (Green House Gases), causing increased temperature, discomfort and notorious Global Warming. The vicious effect is mitigated by Ethanol Blending in petrol. At present 10% Ethanol is blended in petrol as against 1.5% in 2014. The quantity is expected to be enhanced by up to 20%. It helped reduce the GHG by more than 318 lakhs MT, benefitted farmers who have been paid Rs 40,600 Crore and saved substantial public money. It is a win-win situation for all.

The use of conventional fossil fuel with its hazardous effects needed to be replaced considerably, if not completely, by promoting and using non-conventional energy with zero carbon emissions. A continuous flow of Clean and Green energy is the linchpin of a robust economy, for, it is the primary requirement to flourish. Solar energy is one of them. Among 123 signatories of the International Solar Alliance, India is showing the way to the world. The renewable energy capacity of India has grown exponentially from 70 GHz to 170 GHz within nine years, and the solar power capacity has increased more than 20 times. Solar power is convenient and becomes profitable when linked with the grid system. Farmers are getting benefits from the PM KUSUM scheme. Kisan Urja Suraksha evam Utthan Mahabhiyan (KUSUM) has helped farmers procure solar-powered pump sets for their fields.

Green Hydrogen and its use is another means of clean energy. Unlike Grey, Blue and Turquoise Hydrogen, Green Hydrogen is produced by the electrolysis of water, using electricity generated by solar radiation or wind. It creates zero Carbon emissions, hence the term. India, with its long coastline and copious water and wind, has a tremendous capacity to be a world leader in green Hydrogen technology. Hydrogen produces water when burned and has no adverse effect on air quality. 

LiFE - the Way of Living and Circular Economy

The essential component of a clean environment is people's active participation. It is also about how they live and carry themselves. It is heartening that people are sensitive towards the cause of the environment. India since antediluvian has been the champion of a clean and healthy environment. PM Modi suggested the concept of LiFE at COP26 in Glasgow. He then launched it with UN Secretary-General Mr Antonio Guterres at the Statue of Unity, Gujrat on 20 October 2022. The concept is the way of life - Lifestyle for the Environment. It suggests means to help clean the environment by simply modifying the way of living. It will give, as Modi says, "P3 - Pro Planet People". Single-use plastic is banned. People are advised to take homemade carry bags or paper bags. Minimal use of Air Conditioners and maximum use of natural air and light to keep houses clean, cool and tidy are advised to reduce carbon and water footprint. 

The concept of a Circular Economy, effective in controlling and mitigating environmental degradation, could be an answer. It is also a way of life which goes a bit different way. Whereas the conventional linear economy lays thrust on taking, producing, using and throwing the Circular Economy, on the other hand, emphasizes re-cycling. It is based on the 3R system that stands for Reduce (of waste production), Reuse (Of a product several times) and Recycle (when not in use recycle it and put it to another use). This system is congruent with the natural cycle where Mother Nature always recycles the products and put them to use. The biggest and most appropriate example is of Water Cycle that maintains the quantity of fresh water on the earth. 

The problems are the intrinsic part of any system, but the question is how the system tackles them. An efficient and sensitive government tackles them effectively, keeping the larger public interest in mind.

Photograph by the Author