India’s Ecological Travesty
It’s been more than a month since World Environment Day was celebrated here in my home country of India. On this day, our Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, tweeted as follows: -
#WorldEnviromentDay is the right time to reaffirm our commitment to protecting our environment and nurturing a better planet.
Narendra Modi (@narendramodi )
The reality however, is more distant from the rosy picture that the Prime Minister had painted.
The very existence of this article is centered around 2 key events that took place after the optimistic tweet.
First, on June 13th, the Bombay High Court granted permission to the MMRCL (Mumbai Metro Rail Co-operation Limited) to cut down 108 Mangroves in order to give way to a new metro line and station at BKC (Bandra-Kurla Complex). This was a big blow to conservationists & activists as well as Environmental Protection Efforts. India is well known for mangrove forests on the river Godaveri, Kaveri & Ganges along with the Great Sundarbans (shared with Bangladesh), the largest Mangrove region in the world. Mangroves not only help with re-oxygenation of the atmosphere, but they are also central to the delicate and fragile ecosystems that are present at the deltas and estuaries, which is their predominant habitat. They are also known as natural flood barriers as their special roots(called pneumatophores) act as shock absorbers, reducing the force with which the waves hit. In some islands, where financing & infrastructure is an issue, mangroves are often the only barrier standing between the waves and the tiny islands. To add to the irony, a coastal, low-lying city like Mumbai, that is obtained from reclamation, is a city that would most benefit from the mangroves. Instead, we have proceeded to cut them down frivolously. At the hearing, one activist was told to be ‘pragmatic’. This is, in essence, pure unadulterated and shear negligence.
Second, this week, 24 hours before this article is uploaded, the Delhi government issued a statement that basically shot a bullet in the leg on our work towards a greener future. The statement referenced an archaic act known as the Motor Vehicles Act and it simply meant that there was a chance that app-based taxis such as India-based Ola and Uber would have to cancel the option to carpool. This comes after the government implemented laws such the ‘odd-even’ rule where on alternate days, cars with even plates and cars with odd plates could be allowed to drive. While the rest of the world works to popularize and promote the use of carpooling, New Delhi, a city currently topping even Beijing, China and Dammam, Saudi Arabia in levels of air pollution has raised the possibility of legally preventing the single largest method by which vehicular air pollution can be reduced. The idiocy doesn’t get any more blatant than this folks.
However *a few moments of silence in the room*, both of them can be stopped.
My proposed solutions include:-
- Subsidization of carpooling services to increase prevalence and cost-effectiveness.
- Reintroduction of odd-even system in combination with raised taxes both on incomes of families with more than one car as well as cars in general.
- Drastic improvements to the Public transportation System, including state sponsorship and refurbishment of BEST and other Nationwide public bus services as well as the pan-Indian train network.
- Possible introduction of a carpool & cycle lane along with toll concessions.
- Promotion and subsidization of electric cars and rooftop solar panels and rainwater harvesting systems.
- An expansion of the electric grid to include rural areas, keeping in mind the large percentage of pollution caused by bio gas combustion.
- Increased availability of recycling and composting centers with monetary or other forms of incentives,
- Imposing strict carbon taxes on companies (especially those in the fossil fuel industry while providing subsidies and grants to green energy companies.
- Increased number of green zones as well as more environmentally friendly forms of infrastructure development such as the ‘super blocks’ design used in Barcelona.
- Increased efficacy in sewage treatment systems.
- Possible implementation of Daylight Saving Hours.
- Increased policing of nature reserves as well as increasing the effort with which laws are enforced on people.
These proposed solutions do not mask the fact that the Indian government’s inefficiency in aspects such as this have cost a lot. To convey exactly what I meant, here’s my open letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi,
Respected Sir,
Keeping this real, what happened? With that tweet on June 5th, the world’s largest democracy seemed to be at the threshold of a new phase of awareness, activism and it seemed as India was going to show the world how its done. We had the resources, we had the finance, we had the potential. The one last ingredient in the mix was something that cost no money, no resources and not time. All that was required was a little dedication and willpower. I sit here, at my little home somewhere in the labyrinth that is Mumbai. I sit here, waiting for that day when I can walk outside and breathe air. Not air+smoke, not air+exhaust, not air+…anything. All I ask is give us a day when no-one has to wear masks to protect from the dust. A day when, I can go to a park with my mom and dad and not be greeted by empty cans and wrappers. A day when I can go by the river and see my feet through the water. A day when a photograph of India from space is green, not grey. A day when I can wake up in the morning, open my window, and enjoy that iconic musty smell that has become a staple in Indian households during this time of the year. Outsiders herald at India’s possibilities but insiders criticize India’s reality. But you sir, have the ability to bring out India’s potential. The good news is, we STILL have time. So, we better get to work. One wrapper at a time. One tree at a time. One piece of the future at a time.
— Raunaq Nambiar
