Aug. 18: Prime Minister Manmohan Singh asked people to seek new ways to reverse environmental degradation and resource depletion, which threatened the country’s economic security and well-being. Dr Singh, addressing a conference of state environment and forest ministers on Tuesday, rubbished criticism from developed nations that India was not doing enough to combat global warming. He also noted that "environment clearances have become a new form of licence raj and a source of corruption," emphasising that the process needed to be made fairer and hassle-free.
On climate change, Dr Singh said: "We fully recognise not just how important this issue is to India but also our own obligation to address it." The Prime Minister said India’s domestic capacity had to be strengthened to meet growing energy needs, and stressed the need to make adequate investments in new environment-friendly technologies. Dr Singh asked the state governments to frame their own action plans consistent with the National Action Plan on Climate Change unveiled last year.
For this, Dr Singh said, access to new technologies available with developed countries was required. "We must also make own investments in environment-friendly technologies."
Dr Singh said the scientific foundation of environment policies should be strengthened to deal with challenges. He also noted that water scarcity was becoming "a way of life" and pollution was a "growing threat to our health and to our habitats."
On the adverse impact of climate change on coastal zones, Dr Singh asked island authorities to work in close coordination with the Centre for an integrated approach. He also touched on the critical issue of river cleaning and advocated the need to synergise river conservation efforts through innovative models like Special Purpose Vehicles (SPVs).
Directing the states to "effectively enforce legal provisions through state pollution control boards to curtail the discharge of untreated industrial effluents that account for 25 per cent of the total pollution load in our rivers," Dr Singh pitched for community participation in environmental protection.
"Our tribals are our environmental foot soldiers. They have guarded our forests and evolved a sophisticated way of living in harmony with nature. The Tribal Rights Act guarantees legitimate rights to forest dwellers," the Prime Minister said.
Minister of state for environment and forests Jairam Ramesh said the Centre and states had together spent Rs 3,600 crores on the forest sector last year. In 2009-10, the total public investment in this sector would be an "unprecedented" Rs 8,300 crores, he added.
