Sustainability should be the essence of every action
Pavan Guru, Paani Pita, Mata Dharat Mahat (Guru Nanak, Japji, Epilogue). This means Air is out Teacher, Water our Father and the greatest Earth, our Mother. According to scientists, the maximum carrying capacity of Earth is 10 billion population. “World Population Prospects: The 2015 Revision”, by the UN Department of Economic and Social Affairs has projected World’s population could reach 9.7 billion in 2050 and 11.2 billion in 2100. India will bear the maximum population by overtaking China, after 2022. Everyone has knowledge of the established fact that human life can’t exist without air, water, and earth. The human being has consistently overruled this knowledge of essence in the pursuit of modernization and development. Eventually, it finds pushed to the brink of discomfort, disgrace, and worry. After 37 years of air pollution control act and rules, India felt hard pressed to devise National Clean Air Programme. A study by IIT Mumbai shows that Delhiites and Mumbaiites spend nearly Rs. 80000 Crore towards air pollution-related diseases. 2016 World Bank data reports that in 2013 India lost over 8.5% of GDP due to air pollution only. Above this, as per 2015 data, India has nearly 22 cars per 1000 people, while the latest data shows that China and US have 170 and 910 cars, respectively, per the same number of population. Having said this, there is a huge scope that car sales will boom in India. Soon, with the technology changes, India will have a huge volume of scrap cars and thereby, a gigantic quantity of wastes to deal with. Electric cars are going to be the next big things in India. At the same time, India may become an electric car manufacturing hub. But then India needs more electricity, which is another area of concern. Currently, renewable energy mix with traditional energy is at 8%, while the required level is 22%. Adoption of solar energy is peaking up in India. It has to be tapped at a higher pace and at every level. There are ample regulatory frameworks available. The most important thing is the appropriate implementation in terms of all respect.
According to a study led by Eric Rignot from the University of California at Irvine, Antarctica ice melt has accelerated by 280% in the last 4 decades. Global warming peaking at an alarming pace. Tree plantation is an essential step. As per 2015 data, India was having 28 trees per person against the worldwide average of 422 trees per person. On the other hand, China has 102 trees per person, US 716 and Brazil 1494 trees per person. Umpteen number of regulatory requirements are there to ensure tree plantation. Special promotional drives are also organized by the government at various levels to involve people’s participation. Construction projects have failed to feel the essence of this requirement and often evade this regulatory condition. Government departments have not proved to play their pivotal roles but meekly accepted with mismatching justifications of green cover against a greenbelt. Road and infrastructural projects are no different. Medium scale industry sector in urban area also remained far away from maintaining greenbelt with trees. Moreover, Environmental Clearance is a major regulatory measure, which was not implemented uniformly. Somewhere, it deliberates 33% of greenbelt required and in other cases, it specifies a condition to develop 20% of green cover — as if there is no standard procedure. India needs to contemplate on this issue.
Originally published at enviroannotations.blogspot.com.
