SPEECHES / STATEMENTS 

PM’s address at the National Conference of Ministers of Environment & Forests

August 18, 2009, New Delhi

“I am happy to have this opportunity to address this very important National Conference of State Ministers of Environment and Forests. This is an area which is of great national importance and I am very happy that I have this opportunity to meet such distinguished group of representatives of our people debating an issue of critical importance to the future of our country.

The multiple environmental crises that confront our country have created in many ways an alarming situation. Climate change is threatening our fragile ecosystems. We are staring at the prospect of an impending drought. Water scarcity is becoming a way of life. Pollution is a growing threat to our health and to our habitats.

The agenda before you is, therefore, wide ranging and of great critical importance. I think the first task is to educate people not just on the impact of the crisis we face but also to encourage deeper reflection on what this obliges all of us to do. There are fundamental choices that we have to make about our lifestyles; about how we wish to produce and consume, the things we ought to do and the things we ought not to do. I sincerely believe that the greatest challenge facing humankind today is the challenge of arriving at a new equilibrium between man and nature.

The challenges we face are not insurmountable. We are blessed with nature’s bounty but as a people, we also have a deep cultural sensitivity to our environment. In fact, it was Smt. Indira Gandhi’s vision and love of nature that led to the setting up of a Ministry of Environment in the Government of India. She initiated Project Tiger in 1972 and was instrumental in the enactment of legislations such as the Wildlife Protection Act and the Forest Conservation Act. These monumental measures were ahead of their times. It is this far-sightedness, commitment and concern for our natural heritage that we need to invoke as we deal with the challenges that confront us now.

Climate change is today a major global challenge. The world is seriously concerned about it. So are we. There should be no doubt in anybody’s mind that we fully recognize not just how important this issue is to our country’s future but also our own obligation to address it. We are conscious of our responsibilities to both the present and the future generations and we seek to enhance the ecological sustainability of our development path.

I seek your cooperation in making a success of the eight National Missions and other initiatives that are the key components of our National Action Plan on climate change. I would urge each State Government to create their own State level action plans consistent with the strategies in the national plans. We need much broader consultation with the States on this issue and I sincerely hope that this would be an important theme of this Conference.

There is a pressing need to modernize the existing Forest and Wildlife management system in our country. It is apparent that we have to modernize our forest departments with improved resources, communication and improved training of our personnel. I am concerned that there are a large number of positions of front line personnel lying vacant in many states in the Forests and Wildlife sector. I urge the Hon’ble Ministers of the concerned States to redress this situation on a priority basis.

Another critical issue is the need to ensure that local communities benefit from conservation so that they can be increasingly involved in the efforts of conservation. Our tribals are our environmental foot soldiers. They have guarded our forests and evolved a sophisticated way of living in harmony with nature over the centuries. Their wisdom and their experience should be utilised to preserve our forests, to nurse them rather than making them orphans of the environment. The tribal rights act is an opportunity to guarantee the legitimate rights of forest dwellers and to bring them in the frontline of the environment movement for regeneration.

The Green India campaign is a major initiative that will have many spin-off benefits. We need to quickly operationalise the Compensatory Afforestation Management and Planning Authority (CAMPA) by constituting State level authorities. I am very happy that Jairam has brought a new sense of purpose and earnestness to this department and what he has told us about the transfer of funds from the CAMPA account to the States is the forerunner of things to come of greater collaboration, cooperation between the Centre and the States. So, I congratulate Jairam for this initiative.

Our country is blessed with mighty rivers that are inextricably linked with our history, our religious beliefs, our culture and our customs of our people. It is a matter of great concern therefore that we have not been able to reverse the degradation of this very important natural inheritance.

We have decided to adopt a different and more holistic approach taking the river and not the city as the unit of planning as we have done until now. The essence of this approach is not just to focus on river pollution but more comprehensively on catchment area treatment, protection of flood plains, ensuring ecological flows and restoration of the river ecosystem.

We have established the National Ganga River Basin Authority (NGRBA) as an empowered body under the Environment Protection Act, 1986. We hope that this model will be adopted for other major rivers in our country based on the experience we gain in its implementation. We have substantially increased the allocation for river conservation programme in this year’s budget, including a special provision of Rs.250 crores for the river Ganga.

It is vital that institutional structures are set up by all States for synergizing the river conservation efforts at the national and state levels. States should explore mobilizing additional resources for river cleaning through innovative models like Special Purpose Vehicles. I would also request State Governments to effectively enforce legal provisions through State Pollution Control Boards to curtail the discharge of untreated industrial effluents that account for nearly 25% of the total pollution load in our river systems.

We are all aware of the adverse impact climate change would have on our coastal areas. The Coastal Management Zone (CMZ) Notification issued in the year 2008 has been thoroughly reviewed by a committee headed by Prof. M.S. Swaminathan. I understand that this report has suggested an integrated approach in coastal area management for Andaman & Nicobar Islands and also for Lakshadweep Islands. I suggest that the Island authorities work in close coordination with the Centre to evolve an integrated approach.

I wish to draw your attention to the view that environmental clearances have become a new form of Licence Raj and a source of corruption. This is a matter that needs to be addressed head-on. There are trade-offs that have to be made while balancing developmental and environmental concerns. But the procedures must be fair, transparent and hassle free. Decisions must be taken within a specified time.

I am told that some times there are discrepancies in the Environmental Impact Assessment Reports. The September, 2006 Notification of the Ministry of Environment and Forests is a major attempt to rationalize the system of giving mandatory environmental clearance. I hope that we can improve the system further in the light of the experience gained. I would urge all the States who have not yet established State EIA Authorities to do so at the very earliest. Effective coordination between the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests and the State Ministry is vital if we are to build a credible and efficient system of assessment and clearance.

The recent introduction of the National Green Tribunal Bill in Parliament is a positive step forward. This will strengthen environmental adjudication and settlement of disputes. We should consider setting up a National Environment Protection Authority supported by regional Environment Protection Authorities.

In dealing with the challenge of climate change and environmental degradation we face the unfair burden of past mistakes not of our making. But, as we go forward in the march of development we have the opportunity not to repeat those past mistakes. Our growth strategy can be and should be innovative and different. It must be different. We are still at early stages of industrialization and urbanization. Our energy needs will increase sharply in the decades to come. We can and we must walk a different road, an environment friendly road.

For this we need access to new technologies that are already available with the developed countries. We must also make our own investments in new environment-friendly technologies. We need to strengthen the scientific foundations of our environment policies and strengthen our capacity to deal with the challenges that lie ahead. We must involve more stakeholders particularly our youth to lead the movement for environmental protection and regeneration.

I urge all of you to use your collective knowledge and wisdom and experience to seek new pathways to reverse the environmental degradation and resource depletion that threatens our economic security and well being. With these words, I wish your Conference all success. I thank you.”