NEW DELHI: With the new government seeking to simultaneously pursue its twin goals of 'environmental protection and development objective', the Centre for Science and Environment (CSE) - country's leading think-tank - brought out a set of 'green' agenda for it on Wednesday, suggesting ways and means to achieve inclusive and sustainable growth.
It also urged the government to look "beyond clearance of projects" and "get million buses on roads and billion solar panels on rooftops".
The "million buses" for public transport system will reduce commuters' dependence on private vehicles and help the government in reducing air pollution while the 'billion solar panels" on rooftops will help people get clean energy by tapping renewable source.
The agenda comprises of a number of measures which may well set the tone for the government's pledge for 'clean and green India' on the occasion of the World Environment Day on Thursday.
As focus of the environment ministry has, of late, been shifted to pending clearances, the CSE also sought to remove a "misconception" that the pending clearances were hindrances to growth and requested the government to rather focus on "monitoring".
"Industry lobby portrays green clearances as impediments to growth. But, fact tells a different story. If you look at official data, over 99% of projects manage to get environment-related clearance and 94% get forest clearance", said Sunita Narain, director general of the CSE.
She said, "The problem lies with the monitoring. The government has little capacity to monitor whether the developers\industries are actually complying with the environment clearance conditions or not".
Pitching for "inclusive and sustainable" growth, the Delhi-based environmental think-tank enlisted the existing problems and maintained that urgent steps are required to fix air and water pollution, regeneration of forests and water bodies and provide access to clean energy to all.
It also urged the government to reinvent the ways green clearances are currently managed so that it can be monitored properly.
"The new government must reform and strengthen the environment management systems and green clearance processes to safeguard people's concerns, and we have a prescription on how they can do it," said Chandra Bhushan, deputy director general of CSE.
Accordingly, the group suggested the government to consolidate all green clearances - environment, forests, coastal and wildlife -- so that decisions can be taken understanding the overall impact of projects.
"Instead of several regulators, government should set up an independent body to grant green clearances", said Bhushan, adding that the idea should be to remove multiplicity and streamline regulatory procedures.
The group also noted the severe air pollution condition of several cities across the country and sought the government to deal with it through a multi-pronged approach.
"As far as air pollution is concerned, India sits on a ticking time bomb", said Anumita Roychowdhury of the think-tank.
Seeking to deal with the issue, she said the government must "meet clean air standards, enforce stringent emission norms and promote public transport".
Highlights of the CSE agenda for the new government
1. The problems:
* 50% of Indian cities have critical levels of air pollution, and air pollution is the fifth largest killer in India
* 76 of 150 major rivers in India are heavily polluted
* 306 million people, mostly in rural areas, do not have access to electricity
* 99% of projects manage to get environment-related clearance; 94% get forest clearance - despite all the claims to the contrary that industry is making
2. How to tackle the problems:
A. Clean the air
* Strive to get million buses on roads and billion rooftop solar panels
* Introduce Bharat Stage IV fuel and emission standards across the country by 2015
* Advance the roadmap for clean fuel and emission standards to leapfrog to Euro VI by 2019-2020
* Implement a favourable taxation policy for promoting clean fuels like CNG
* introduce a tax on diesel vehicles in Budget 2014-15
* Restrict use of personal vehicles by introducing higher taxes
* use the urban reform agenda for higher parking charges
B. Clean the River\Water
* Make ecological flow mandatory in all stretches of a river
* Ensure treated effluent is reused or discharged directly into rivers for dilution
* Go for affordable water and sanitation solutions
* Design a garbage disposal system to segregate waste and make a resource out of it.
* Aggressively implement the national sanitation programme - make it a top governmental priority
* Make it clear that toilets are more important than temples
* Build climate resilience and water security through the MGNREGA programme
* Focus on how water harvesting systems can be used for food, nutrition and livelihood security in an increasingly climate-at risk world
C. Protect the forest
* Implement the next phase of Forest Rights Act focusing on community forest rights and forest regeneration with people
* Introduce minimum support price for all minor forest produce and make it a mission to bring livelihood benefits of forests to people
* Provide new direction for forest protection that builds green wealth in the hands of people
* measure and account for forest wealth in order to provide protection to natural habitats
D. Tap renewable energy to ensure energy access
* Work to achieve the goals of the Rural Electrification Policy to provide at least one unit (1 kiloWatt-hour) of electricity per day to every rural household by 2019
* Frame policies so that the share of renewable energy increases from 3% to 25% by the end of the 12th Five Year Plan
* Frame a policy for decentralized energy generation through mini-grids so that clean energy can be used to bring energy access to millions without lights
* Use the Clean Energy Funds for this clean energy revolution
* Frame a policy for roof top solar so that people can bring in the new revolution from their homes
E. Reinvent the way green clearances are managed
* Consolidate all green clearances - environment, forests, coastal and wildlife - so that decisions can be taken understanding the overall impact of projects.
* Instead of several regulators, set up an independent body to grant green clearances.
* Utilize the resources of State Pollution Control Boards (SPCBs) to monitor compliance with clearance conditions. Focus on project monitoring, not just project clearance.
* Build capacity and reform institutions for better implementation of regulations. Immediately strengthen pollution control boards.
* Strengthen the process of public hearings and public participation in green clearances. Make these processes more transparent and accountable.
* Set up urgent task force to look at how enforcement and penalties for environmental non-compliance can be vastly strengthened. Need tough action that hurts. Not words.
