Notes on the Important Eco-developmental Programmes in India !
Conservation of Bio-diversity:
India is one of the twelve mega-biodiversity countries of the world and became a party to the international convention or Biological Diversity in May 1994. The ecosystem, species and genetic diversity is being conserved in following ways.
i. Indian Board of Wildlife (reconstituted in 1991).
ii. Conservation programmes National parks, Sanctuaries, Projects for individual animals as tiger, elephant, rhino, crocodile etc.
iii. Conservation of fragile ecosystems i.e. wetlands, mangroves and coral reefs. India is a signatory to convention on wetlands of international importance, as waterfowl habitat (Ramsar Convention)
iv. National Bureau of Plant Genetic Resources (NBPGR), New Delhi.
v. National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBAGR), Karnal
vi. National Bureau of Fish Genetic Resources (NBEGR), Lucknow.
Capacity Building for Sustainable Development:
The Government and also Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have taken initiative to integrate environmental issues into Development Planning.
i. National Council of Environmental Planning and Coordination (NEPC) was set up in 1972, followed by Empowered Committee, Tiwari Committee in 1980. The Department of Environment set up in 1980 for planning and promotion of environmental programmes which became part of Ministry of Environment and Forest in 1985.
Prevention and control of pollution:
The policy statement on abatement of pollution was adopted in 1992. It provides instruments in the form of legislation and regulation, fiscal incentives, voluntary agreements, etc., to prevent pollution of water, land and air. An Eco-mark label has also been introduced to label consumer products as environment-friendly. Several techniques like waste minimisation, compressed natural gas as cleaner auto fuel were introduced.
Various programmes have been taken by the government of India which are likely to succeed.
For sustaining life support systems:
The agricultural growth brought by Green Revolution to meet the food requirement of increased population has eroded the biological and environmental base of the country. The profit had come at the cost of India’s biological and environmental capital such as the intensive agriculture that led to problems of land degradation, ozone depletion, salinity, mineral deficiency and loss of genetic diversity of crops.
Programmes initiated for proper management of land, water and other resources.
Land degradation is checked through management of wind and water, erosion, over grazing and deforestation. Increase in biomass production has reduced pressure on fuelwood and fodder. Some of the programmes undertaken are:
i. The National Wastelands Development Board spread all over the country, provides support to the State Forest Departments for wasteland development and afforestation.
ii. The Forest Conservation Act, 1980 to check indiscriminate de-reservation and diversion of forest land for non-forest purposes.
iii. National Forestry Action Programme under National Forest Policy, 1988.
iv. Several plan schemes as Integrated Wastelands Development Project scheme, Fuel-wood and Fodder projects, Aerial seeding, Seed development scheme etc.
v. Greening programmes Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Smriti Vans.
vi. Cooperatives IFFCO and others
vii. National Fund for Afforestation
viii. Eco-task Forces in different states
This is an important issue to check erosion, flooding, etc. This has been managed through—
i. River Valley Projects for construction of dams. But Jawaharlal Nehru’s apprehensions of 1957 have become a major environmental issue. There has been much debate over large dams. Issues of resettlement, rights of affected people, impact on biodiversity, fragile ecosystems, siltation, drainage and water logging are central issues.
ii. Increase in groundwater is done through pumpsets. Biological resources are also managed in various ways including conservation of biodiversity.
Industrialisation and Urbanization:
The following steps were undertaken to resolve this issue.
i. Human Settlement Schemes to deal with the problem of urban slums. Steps are taken by National Commission on urbanisation, 1988 and Housing and Urban Development Corporation (HUDCO), 1970.
ii. Policies on housing, occupational health, slum improvement etc.
iii. Department of Non-conventional Energy sources, for new renewable non polluting sources, for new renewable non polluting sources of energy as solar, wind, tidal biomass – based sources, biogas
National Afforestation and Eco-Development Board (NAEB): constituted in 1992, given the task of promoting Afforestation, tree plantation, and ecological restoration and eco-development activities in country. National Natural Resources Management System was implemented for the utilisation of Remote Sensing technology with conventional methods for optimal use and management of natural resources of the country. The Ministry of Environment and Forest create environmental awareness among various age groups and disseminate information through Environmental Information System (ENUIS).