New
Delhi
May 16, 2000
My
Cabinet colleague, Shri T. R. Balu, Minister of State, Shri Babulal Marandi,
State
Environment and Forest Ministers,
Ladies
and Gentlemen:
It
gives me great pleasure to be with you today and share some of my thoughts
on environment-related issues. These are fast occupying the centre-stage
of national as well as international concern.
This
is not without reason.
For,
in nations across the world, human development in the 21st
century will be increasingly linked to protecting environmental resources
from mindless consumption and destruction. Maintaining ecological balance,
already rendered fragile by the excesses of the 20th century,
will be integral to development programmes. India cannot be an exception.
The
devastation wrought by the drought in several parts of our country is a
manifestation of the ill effects of excesses that have resulted from
flawed development strategies. In the name of development and modernity,
these strategies have destroyed traditional life-sustaining structures and
systems for short-term gains.
Let
me give you an example.
An
elaborate rain water-harvesting system that had been created centuries ago
in Rajasthan after carefully mapping the terrain has been destroyed to
facilitate wide-scale mining, licences for which were issued by
Government.
Seen
from the narrow perspective of development models that seek to deliver
instant jobs and immediate wealth, these mines were a boon for the people
living in what is among the least developed regions of the country. The
Government was happy; the contractors were happy; the people were happy.
Years
later, we find vast tracts of Rajasthan, including areas once served by
the traditional viaduct, in the grip of a severe drought.
True,
the ancient water harvesting system that I refer to, alone may not have
been able to prevent the drought. But surely it could have minimised the
impact and mitigated the suffering of the people.
The
point I am stressing is that let us not destroy traditional
life-sustaining structures and systems that exist. Let us preserve them
and, indeed, further strengthen, and add to them, to secure sustainable
development.
The
results may not be instant, but they will benefit future generations and
protect them from hunger and disease. They will also prevent the loss of
their livelihood, which is often dependent on their cattle wealth or a
patch of land that supports sustenance farming.
Here
I would like to cite the example of Palamau district in Bihar where pani
panchayats have been set up to harvest water and manage
watersheds. With the help of traditional structures and modern scientific
inputs like which crop needs how much water, a drought-prone area has
witnessed remarkable change and is now set on the path of sustainable
development.
While
on this issue, I would like to draw your attention to the 1992 Rio
Conference that acknowledged the need to synergise economic development
with environmental resources. Government has been trying to synergise the
two -- and we have succeeded to an extent -- but a lot more remains to be
done.
After
all, no development activity that severely depletes our natural resources
or degrades our environment can ultimately benefit the people.
We
need to address environmental concerns while preparing development
policies. Project evaluation should not be based on financial cost-benefit
analysis alone.
This
is no doubt a difficult task. With our population crossing one billion,
the demand on resources and infrastructure can be well imagined. The Union
and State Governments are under ever-increasing pressure to generate an
ever-larger number of employment opportunities through rapid economic
development.
Therein
lies the trap.
Often,
in our haste to deliver, we overlook the long-term impact of development
projects -- be they industry or infrastructure related, or the expansion
of the frontiers of urban India -- on the environment. As a result,
today's success turns into tomorrow's failure.
The
lesson that stares us all in the face is simple in its starkness: Rapid
population growth, coupled with rapid urbanisation and rapid
development that does not take into account ecological factors, invariably
leads to rapid depletion of our natural resources and
equally rapid degradation of our environment.
We
can ignore this reality at the cost of the future of our people.
For
their sake, and the sake of future generations of Indians, we have to
start emphasising restrained resource utilisation so that our ecological
integrity is not impaired. Let us prove that contrary to general belief,
environmental conservation accelerates, rather than hinders, economic
development.
The
importance of environmental conservation is brought home with unerring
effect every time we face a calamity or natural disaster. Last year, it
was underscored by the super-cyclone that ravaged coastal Orissa.
Ironically,
it is nature that showed us how to face nature's fury: Areas with mangrove
vegetation suffered comparatively less damage. The lesson was not wasted.
The Environment Ministry has identified protection, restoration and
regeneration of mangroves as a thrust area.
The
Orissa calamity has also highlighted the need for urgent measures like
shelterbelt plantation along cyclone-prone coastal areas. Species chosen
for this purpose should not only be able to withstand the impact of strong
cyclonic winds, but also check soil erosion. State Governments should come
forward with schemes for this purpose. The Ministry of Environment and
Forests will support the State Governments in implementing these schemes.
Friends,
protecting our environment does not necessarily mean putting a stop to
development activity, nor does it mean putting a halt to progress. We have
to look for pragmatic solutions to problems posed by development projects.
We have to bear in mind their long-term impact on the environment and
ecology of the region, the State and the nation.
Therefore,
our model has to be one that ensures sustainable development.
In
short, we have to balance progress and consumption with conservation of
resources.
This
will be possible if we make environmental security a national mission, a
movement that involves the people. Voluntary associations, through
people's participation, have successfully handled many a conservation
project. Chipko is an example that all of us are familiar with.
It is
only when we give people a direct stake in protecting the environment --
be it watershed management, forest conservation or pollution control --
that they will become active partners of Government. To achieve this goal,
I propose a sustained awareness campaign that involves panchayats,
community organisations, voluntary associations, municipal bodies,
corporate sector and educational institutions.
Together,
we can overcome the challenge that we face -- a challenge exemplified by
the fact that in as many as 20 river basins people face a water shortage.
For a nation whose civilisational history is rooted in the banks of her
rivers, nothing could be more devastating.
I
look forward to fruitful deliberations at this conference of State
Ministers of Environment and Forest on the challenges that we face and
possible responses to present and future problems.