Concern for environment has fortunately acquired more recognition the world over and now in India too. However, the worry is that it is at a very nascent stage in India and that too mostly limited to paying lip service.
In fact, it is generally fashionable in higher social circles to talk of protecting environment without going deeper into its causes and the possible solutions. The pollution has spread over the last century, with severe damages to human life and habitat — from reckless industrialisation to spurt in automobiles to deforestation to contamination of rivers and aquifers etc.
It has taken a huge toll — depletion of Ozone layer, global warming, severe threat to marine life etc. Our cultural festivals pay no regard to the need of nature and are no less responsible for adding to the air and water pollution. Added to our woes is our burgeoning population, institutional weaknesses and terribly weak compliance to the legal requirements.
India is facing similar situation today as the West faced almost hundred years ago; but we cannot wait for next hundred years. The West realised it much before, started taking corrective measures with newer technology, mass awareness and public involvement; their economic advancement and sound political and social structure facilitated remedial course.
The fundamental change has to begin by creating mass awareness. Public has to become the primary stakeholders for their own sake and inter-generational equity. People’s movement for regeneration of environment is the crying need of the day.
Special courses should be introduced in school curricula to create sensitivity for environment and respect for its regulations, so that the young boys and girls imbibe the right values and develop stake in protecting environment. let them be the eco- ambassadors to carry aloft the struggle during the next 10, 15 years.
Our issue is not the non-existence of law; we have plethora of laws, perhaps more than any other country. The disturbing fact is that we do not allow its writ — it starts from our mindset, basically no respect or fear of law — because cost of violation is very low. Influencing the course of law is most common. Our VIP-centric culture makes everything possible, from violation of law to getting scot-free after serious offences.
Therefore, enforcement of law without fear and favour is a toll order in our country — the reverse happens only where a matter gets into the public domain through media discovery. But it does not mean that common people do not try to influence the law, in fact everybody does. We as a nation need to train ourselves to play by the rule. An ethical awareness and commitment for following certain set of societal code has no substitute for the success of such environmental renewal.
Apart from legal recourse, persons/industry found involved in causing air and water pollution should be shamed publicly for creating deterrent effect.
Once the social sanction and societal awareness is built up, technological innovation and absorption would have greater impact and implementation easier. The design and architecture of our planning cannot be replicated from some foreign model lock, stock and barrel. It has to be suited to the peculiarities of our country taking into consideration the levels of underdevelopment, poverty, illiteracy and lack of awareness (read dogged resistance to a civil behaviour) and democratic aspirations (read licence).
The institutional framework is also fairly available in our country; there are many regulators and watchdogs; if anything, they sometime overlap and work at cross-purposes. But their non-existence is not our despair. Our worry is that they have become flab, bureaucratic and non-functional and they need to be energised and made to deliver. There is a Central Pollution Control Board and its units in every State, besides other departments and agencies that are entrusted with the job of monitoring, regulating, controlling and punishing wrong-doers for environmental degradation. But that is not happening because our agencies are not put to the best use — many of these, with exceptions of course, have become parking lots for influential persons — as they are not equipped by skill or motivation to undertake such onerous task. lastly, not having any better option, we may think of having fast-track courts for this sector as well.
Summary decision in cases of violations, appeals and award of punishment etc. may help in checking the rot and in establishing the rule of law, especially over the high and the mighty. We must not bequeath to the next generation, a world that is worse than what we inherited.