Finance Minister Arun Jaitley’s Budget for 2014-15 is a well balanced one. Thrust has been laid on development of the rural India and provision of basic amenities like drinking water, education, health and residential houses for both the rural and urban populations.
The Budget has also focused on development of tourism, renovation of old architectures, purification of scared rivers of the country, food security, apart from hiking defence allocations, among others.
However, for protection of environment and revival and management of ecology, not much has been allocated. But this a primary factor for the development of the nation. Sadly, neither the State Government nor the Union is attaching much importance to the environment.
Indian economy is too much dependent on agriculture and allied activities like dairy, fishing and live stock rearing etc. Agriculture also depends heavily on monsoon rains. In the whole of India, monsoon rainfall is quite uncertain.
The monsoon rainfall is seasonal, which starts from June and lasts up to September of each year. When the rain is not periodic, much irregularity happens in the raising of periodic crops.
The average rainfall of Odisha is 200 cm but it greatly varies and not happening regularly leading to prevalence of drought. Jaitley has expected 7.8 per cent growth during this financial year, but for this to happen, agriculture must be stable. The Union Finance Minister expects 4 per cent rise in agriculture production as well.
Agriculture is a State subject. Unless the States are backed by financial support, the expectations on the sector can be belied. There is only allotment of Rs 1,000 crore under the Krushi Vikas Yojana which is quite meager.
The agricultural year does not coincide with the financial year. The financial year starts from April 1 and lasts till March 31, while the agriculture year starts from July and ends in June next. Major crops are harvested during winter season from December to January. The Kharif crops depend heavily on rains.
Where there is facility of irrigation like canal and lI system, there could be assured agricultural yields. But there are many areas where irrigation facility has not been extended. As a result, the fate of agriculture in these areas is decided by the monsoon.
However, Odisha’s case is different. The State has ample water, land and human resources but adequate infrastructural development for utiliaation of such resources is missing. The dull period in agriculture is from March to June, when the land is prepared and soil work is done for farming. Unless the soil work is done efficiently, bumper crops cannot be expected.
The Narendra Modi Government has allocated Rs 8 lakh crore for loan disbursement to peasants and infrastructural development in farm sector in the current Budget. The paltry sum makes sure the present Government is more pro-industry than pro-agriculture.
Agriculture should be given more importance than industries since the former is a major area where maximum jobs can be created. Agriculture is renewable but industries are not. Once raw materials are exhausted the industries will be useless. Rather they will be a burden on the nation. Therefore, the Government needs to be very careful while diverting farm land and water resource to the industries.
Industries pollute water, air, soil and the whole environment, but agriculture adds to a healthy environment and maintains growth, peace and social harmony.
Agriculture ensures sustainable living. Most importantly, farm sector helps industrialisation by providing raw material and food. The labourers cannot work efficiently without proper nutrition.
Similarly, without forests and proper distribution of forest, sustainable development is unthinkable. Forest is responsible for mobilization of rainfalls and saves the lands from climatic hazards.
Without forest the whole landmass may be deserted. So, proper and equitable distribution of forest within hills and plain area should be maintained. This helps conserve soil and soil moisture.
The Union Budget has allocated Rs 100 crore for soil conservation measure which is again quite meagre for protection of hills and mountain ranges and for taking measures for soil conservation.
Erosion means removal of soil and particles of rock by the action of water, wind and gravitation. It is known as accelerated erosion. While the sandy areas like sea shores of the coastal States are prone to sea erosion, Rajasthan and UP are subject to gravity of sand erosions.
Special measures must be taken to prevent sea, land and river erosion in the country which is now a big threat to the human civilization living in those vulnerable areas.
The Government should learn lessons from the Uttarakhand landslides, which claimed thousands of lives and destroyed hundreds of houses and other structures. Therefore adequate steps should b taken to conserve the forests on the hills so that such flooding can be prevented.
(The writer is a former senior forest officer and an environmentalist. Tel no 9937460649)