{"id":20007778,"date":"2014-03-31T11:10:33","date_gmt":"2014-03-31T05:40:33","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.thethirdpole.net\/?p=7778"},"modified":"2020-08-19T19:49:23","modified_gmt":"2020-08-19T14:19:23","slug":"an-indian-manifesto-for-the-environment","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/dialogue.earth\/en\/nature\/an-indian-manifesto-for-the-environment\/","title":{"rendered":"An Indian manifesto for the environment"},"content":{"rendered":"

‘Environmental concerns are finally getting mainstreamed in India’s political discourse and the Congress party’s manifesto lists action-oriented goals to tackle them’<\/span><\/strong><\/p>\n

\"(Photo<\/a>
The Congress party’s manifesto calls for engaging tribal and forest dwelling communities more in forest management. (Photo by Prashanth NS)<\/figcaption><\/figure>\n

Environment as an issue has never really been in the mainstream of the political discourse in India. When did we last hear a political leader mention environmental issues in an election stump speech? This is unfortunate. Many in India still consider environmental protection an elitist concern, and believe that the \u2018bread and butter\u2019 issues \u2013 economic and social \u2013 are what the electorate really cares about.<\/p>\n

But this is changing. \u2018Lifestyle environmentalism\u2019 is giving way to \u2018livelihood environmentalism\u2019. Issues such as air pollution in our cities, increasing pollution of our rivers, poor sewage and sanitation, water logging and declining water tables etc. are direct livelihood and survival issues that the electorate cares deeply about, not some distant concerns championed by elite NGOs.<\/p>\n

In addition, the growing impact of climate change \u2013 in the form of changing monsoon patterns, unseasonal rains, increasing incidence of droughts and floods etc. \u2013 are changing the nature of the debate. All this is happening in a rapidly growing economy where the trade-offs with environmental protection are becoming starker. In fact, the last five years have seen a much higher profile of the so-called \u201cenvironment vs. development\u201d debate in India, which is welcome.<\/p>\n

In this context, it is good to see a much enhanced focus on environmental issues in the recently released manifesto<\/a> of the Indian National Congress<\/a> party for the 2014 general elections.<\/p>\n

READ ALSO: India\u2019s Congress party releases manifesto, green promises remain unfulfilled<\/a>.<\/p>\n

The big ticket item that has caught the media attention is the proposal to set up a National Environmental Appraisal and Monitoring Authority (NEAMA)<\/a> \u2013 \u201ca professional agency to conduct rigorous and time-bound environmental appraisals and recommend environmental clearances, where appropriate, in a time-bound and transparent manner.\u201d<\/p>\n

This is a welcome step, given the challenges that the environmental clearance processes for new projects have faced over the last decade. The Supreme Court has also directed the establishment of such a body.<\/p>\n

The argument for NEAMA is straightforward: The current institutional mandate to do environmental appraisals lies within the Ministry of Environment and Forests<\/a>, which simply does not have the expertise or capacity to do this in a rigorous and timely way. Because of this, we often get delays in approval, inadequate justification for clearance decisions, and little or no post-clearance monitoring of conditions accompanying clearances.<\/p>\n

An independent regulator with the right expertise can bring much needed professionalism to this task. Of course, the final decision on granting clearance would rest with the executive, i.e., the minister or cabinet, to ensure executive accountability, but NEAMA can give much needed transparency and professionalism to the process and recommendation. The proposal would also separate the appraisal and regulation function (which NEAMA would do) from the legislation and policy-making function (which the ministry would continue to do), removing conflict of interest.<\/p>\n

Of course, the success of this idea will depend on the ability to resource and empower NEAMA adequately \u2013 staffing it with the right set of professionals with appropriate skills, giving it adequate budgets and professional autonomy.<\/p>\n

We must learn from the experience of other regulatory agencies we have set up in the last two decades, in designing NEAMA. We must, for example, not let NEAMA become yet another parking lot for retired bureaucrats. We must also not allow it to become an additional layer of bureaucracy or a subordinate office of the ministry.<\/p>\n

There are other recommendations in the Congress manifesto on environmental issues that are noteworthy:<\/p>\n