Professional Documents
Culture Documents
Vol 57
Rig Veda
CONTENTS
PIPES OF PROSPERITY
Ranjan K Panda...............................................................................46
URBAN BIODIVERSITY :
GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT OF NCT DELHI
Meenakshi Dhote ............................................................................49
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l The views expressed in various articles are those of the authors and not necessarily of the government.
l The readers are requested to verify the claims made in the advertisements regarding career guidance books/institutions. Yojana does not own responsibility
regarding the contents of the advertisements.
Apparently, the mankind has come a full-circle over this period so far as its relationship
with nature and the surroundings is concerned. It has been argued that the chief causes of the
environmental destruction do not lie in individual choices like higher consumption. These are
rooted in the social and historical realities arising out of the speciicities of the modern industrial world and the gamut of
economic relations arising out of it between individuals and the nations at large. Whatever view you may hold about the
causes of the environmental crisis we face today, there is no doubt that in the modern quest for conquering the earth we
are clearly in the danger of overstepping the critical thresh holds whether it is the fossil fuel consumption, exploitation of
rivers and under-ground water, Green House Gases emission and similar other indicators.
Environment is an issue that does not really obey the boundaries we have erected on the map. The interconnectedness
of the human existence on the earth is most clearly relected when we discuss questions of environment and ecology.
The long debate about environment and development is not yet settled even while the nations struggle to ind a model of
sustainable development without destroying the ecology. Despite the universal nature of environmental issues, when it
comes to equitable burden sharing of the carbon footprint left by the countries, the debate between per capita emission
approach and the total emission approach continues to be deeply contentious. It becomes an important fact in international
climate change negotiations when we ind that the developed western countries contribute more than 50 percent to the
total carbon emission in the world. It is dificult to convince a developing nation not to invest in setting up factories and
industries to improve the living standards of its citizens in the name of environmental concerns alone.
The range of issues concerning environment and ecology is truly complex and bewildering. From the existing
economic structures to our consumption choices, tribal rights over natural resources to imperatives of economic development,
common environmental resources of the mankind vs national priorities all have trade-offs and require choices to be made
for which there exists no consensus. The policy responses to these issues are often dificult to make and involve a long and
arduous process of consultation with the stake holders at multiple levels. The multitude of movements, many of which are
political and some times violent also, centred around the issues of environment relect on the one hand the lack of consensus
on these issue and on the other, the vibrancy and resilience of India as a democratic nation.
While we ponder over the issue of environment and sustainable ecology, we realise that the scale of transformation
of nature by man has been unprecedented, its rate of change staggering. The great thinker and proponent of Intermediate
Technology E.F. Schumacher asserted that the problem of environmental deterioration is not just technical but it stems
from the life cycle of the modern world, its most basic beliefs-its metaphysics. We must realise the essential unity of the
universe and the interconnectedness of the existence of all life forms, indeed all of nature. It is the time we adopted the
Zulu philosophy of Ubuntu which translates into You are, therefore I am.
q
YOJANA June 2013
ENVIRONMENTal PlaNNING
POlICy
NDIAS ATTEMPTS
at integrating
environmental
sustainability into
economic planning have
so far been piecemeal
and hesitant. They have done
little to stem the rapid slide
into ecological devastation and
consequent livelihood, cultural, and
economic disruption. At the root of
this lies the stubborn adherence to
a model of economic growth that
is fundamentally unsustainable
and inequitable, even more so in
its globalised form in the last two
decades.
Peoples
movements,
civil society
organizations,
academic thinktanks, and
progressive political
leaders will have
to lead the way,
both by resisting
todays destructive
processes and by
building on existing
alternatives
environmentally responsible
and community-based, moving
towards low-carbon strategies, and
protecting the commons (lands and
waters that are used by the public),
giving communities more secure
rights to use and manage these. Yet
the Plan falls far short of signiicant
reorientation, mostly staying within
the confines of assuming that
more growth will help achieve
these goals. It does not use any
available framework of sustainable
development, including the targets
that India agreed to at the 2002
World Summit on Sustainable
Development (Johannesberg). It
does not contain indicators to gauge
whether India is moving towards
sustainability, e.g. improvement
in per capita availability of natural
forests, reduction in the levels of
various kinds of pollution, improved
access to nutritious food and clean
water, or enhanced availability of
public transport. Environmental
considerations do not yet permeate
each economic sector.
There is in fact a palpable lack
of urgency with regard to the
ecological crisis we are already
The author is Founder-member of Indian environmental group Kalpavriksh, and coordinated Indias National Biodiversity
Strategy and Action Plan process, has served on Greenpeace International and India Boards, He is also the author or editor
(singly or jointly with others) of over 30 books, the latest a detailed analysis of globalisation and its alternatives.
YOJANA June 2013
A fundamentally different
framework of well-being has to
be built on the tenets of ecological
sustainability, as much as of
equity. This is clearly pointed to
in the outcome document of the
UN Conference on Sustainable
Development (Rio+20) of 2012.
A new set of global goals could
include:
(2) P r o v i d i n g a d e q u a t e a n d
nutritious food for all, through
production and distribution
systems that are ecologically
sustainable and equitable
(currently part of MDG 1);
(1) E n s u r i n g e c o l o g i c a l
conservation and resilience,
and the basis of equitable access
to nature and natural resources
to all peoples and communities
(respecting natures own rights)
(an expansion of current MDG
7);
RECALL MY first
national publication
in Yojana in June
1993 issue which
reviewed the
eficacy and status of
Indias environmental legislation,
following the strategic article
by then Prime Minister Late Sri
Narsimha Rao depicting the concern
on environment and extrapolating
it for sustainability of economic
growth. India has a prestigious
history on environmental fronts
be it the Stockholm Conference
in 1972 which was attended by
Late Smt. Indira Gandhi, or the
UN Conference on Environment
and Development, 1992 at Brazil
where Indias contribution and ecoconcerns also igured in shaping the
historic Agenda 21. It was in 1991
that the Honble Supreme Court
issued a directive for compulsory
environmental studies in all
undergraduate programmes in the
country. It is regretable that it hasnt
been uniformly implemented even
with the passage of two decades.
In another article on environmental
policy concerns in Yojana in 1996
February, I tried help prioritize the
issues for immediate concerns.
No model of
economic growth
can sustain for
long if it doesnt
respect ecology in
local and regional
context, and at
the same time the
environment as
broad concern
including the
inter-relationships
of natural,
human-made and
socio-cultural
environments
The author is Senior Associate Professor of Policy Planning at National Institute of Disaster Management, New Delhi, and
President of Centre for Disaster Management, Environment and Sustainability, New Delhi.
YOJANA June 2013
11
Natural disaster
management: Number of
natural disasters continue to
rise in India and the region,
with heavy toll on human lives,
environment and economies.
Losses due to water and climate
related disasters far exceed
that of purely geophysical
ones. On the other hand,
chemical intensive economic
development has increased
the risk of industrial-chemical
disasters. Disaster management
needs to be a priority subject
for intervention as it has great
humanitarian aspects.
2.
E n v i ro n m e n t a l - H e a l t h :
Despite the need, the aspects of
environmental health including
those related with water,
sanitation, waste management,
t o x i c o l o g y, h a s b e e n
inadequately addressed due
to lack of policy intervention.
We need to have integrated
13
4.
Environmental liability:
Environmental policy
implementation cannot be
effective unless the concept of
absolute liability is enforced
not only in context of industrial
hazards or pollution but equally
in relation to ecosystem
integrity, sustainability and
natural resources. Liability
should be integrated with
accountability and must also
include the Government,
monitoring agencies and
decision makers.
5.
State/District Environmental
Action Plans: We have
National Environmental
Protection Act (1986) but could
not regulate the mandate for
environmental action plan at
state, district and local levels.
This is an emergent need. Plan
should have a time frame,
6.
14
8.
Environmental Audit:
Environmental audit in
mandatory terms is a formal
procedure in India, except big
industries and corporations
conducting detailed audits
v o l u n t a r i l y. P r a c t i c e o f
comprehensive environmental
auditing must be compulsory for
all industries, establishments
including housing complexes,
municipalities, and institutions
with signiicant water, energy
and material balance or
involving hazards.
Natural Resource
Accounting: The concept and
practice of natural resource
accounting or green accounting
was mooted and pilot studies
undertaken during 1990s.
Economic evaluation of
environmental impacts: In
the absence of proper economic
evaluation, environmental
impacts and hazards are
not given due importance
in planning and decision
making. For example, the
environmental damages and
losses due to disasters and
environmental needs following
a disaster situation havent
been evaluated on economic
terms. This results in their
undermining. The practice of
ecological economics needs
to be promoted in research,
planning and monitoring of
developmental plans and
policies.
approach on environmental
protection affairs including
climate-change, natural disaster
management, chemical safety,
environmental health and overall
natural resource management
system. Prime Ministers Council
of Climate Change may be renamed
as Prime Minister s National
Environmental Council offering
an umbrella coordination of
Ministries like Environment and
Forests, Earth Science, Science &
Technology, environment related
divisions of DST, ICAR, ICMR,
DBT, CSIR, ICFRE, ICSSR, UGC,
National Biodiversity Board, etc.
and international organizations
like UNEP, IPCC, WMO, WHO,
UNDP, UNESCO, etc.
Development and promotion of
environmentally compatible models
for inclusive growth and sustainable
economic development at village,
taluka and district levels may be a
key objective. Intensive and effective
drives of capacity building and
awareness shall be needed to attain
its objectives. A policy guideline
on environmentally compatible
integrated district-planning need
to be developed. It is ironical to
note that India as a country 'though
loud enough in global platforms
of Stockholm and Rio de Janeiro'
has missed to represent ecology
in its constitution of strategic
and planning organizations like
Planning Commission, National
Disaster Management Authority,
National Investment Agency, etc.
The time has come when we need
to be sensitive to own long-term
sustainability and feel accountable
for all our deeds.
Education and Research
Environmental research in the
country is fragmented with much
of duplicacy, gaps and sometime
16
National University on
Environment and Sustainability
For more than two decades,
there has been a demand for a
central institution on environmental
research and training which at the
same time shall award degrees
and professional certification in
(E-mail : envirosafe2007@gmail.com)
CENTRE-STaTE RElaTIONS
SPECIal aRTIClE
Evolution of Centre-States
Relations
The present federal iscal system
has not evolved in a day or two but
over a long period of time starting
from the late eighteenth century.
Pravakar Sahoo is an Associate Professor, Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi University. Amrita Sarkar is an intern with
the Institute of Economic Growth, Delhi.
18
YOJANA
Forthcoming
Issues
July 2013
&
August 2013
July
Public Service Broadcasting
August (Special Issue)
Inclusive Democracy
19
23
DO yOu KNOW?
What is carbon trading?
Carbon Trading refers to
the buying and selling of the
right to release carbon dioxide
or greenhouse gases into the
environment by various countries.
The carbon trade across the
world began in 1997 with the
signing of Kyoto protocol in
Japan by 180 countries. The
Kyoto protocol called for 38
industrialised countries to reduce
their greenhouse gas emission.
Growing environmental
pollution across the world has
been a cause of concern to
everyone. Rapid development
and industrialisation have only
added to the problem. Carbon is
an element stored in fossil fuels
such as coal and oil when these
fuels are burnt, carbon dioxide is
released.
Carbon trading is like any
other market trading. Carbon
has been given economic value
allowing people, companies or
nations to trade it. If a company
purchases carbon, it gets the right
to burn it. Similarly, the country
selling it, gives up the right to burn
it. The carbons value is based on
the ability of the carbon owning
New Delhi
Uttar Pradesh
Rajasthan
Gujarat
West Bengal
Orissa
Maharashtra
Andhra Pradesh
Karnataka
Tamil Nadu
27
uRbaN ENVIRONMENT
DISCuSSION
2.
3.
Kala Seetharam Sridhar is with the Public Affairs Centre, Bangalore and Surender Kumar with the Department of Business
Economics, South Campus, University of Delhi
30
ESTERN GHATS,
as the name
implies, refers to
the impregnable
Ghats located at
the western side
of India. It is the beautiful, critical
and invaluable bounty of nature. It
is believed that Western Ghats is
roughly 500-700 lakh years old i.e
older than the Great Himalaya. It is
the habitat and biological hotspot
of 5000 lora, 16 never ever seen
endemic birds, 179 omnivorous
species and 191 pure water ishes.
It is 1600 km in length and 900
meters in height and stretches
from Thapthi river of Gujarat to
Kanyakumari of TamilNadu. It is
pervasive throughout 6 states of
India viz Gujarat, Maharashtra,
Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu
and Kerala. The toppest peak of
Western Ghats is Anamudi found in
the Idukki District of Kerala. The
major seven clusters of Western
Ghats are Agasthyamala, Periyar,
Anamala, Nilagiri, Thalakkaveri,
Kudhramukh and Sahyadri. The
direct and indirect needs of around
thirty crore people of these six
states for drinking water and
irrigation are invariably met by
Western Ghats.
Above all,
Social forestry
with a stress on
exploitation of
renewable forest
resources may also
be encouraged.
Earnest efforts
should also be taken
to minimise the
fragmentation of
wild life habitat
Ta k i n g i n t o a c c o u n t t h e
ecological mainstay and traditional
signiicance, Western Ghats have
been added to the enviable list of
UNESCOs world heritage sites
on July 1, 2012 at a meeting in the
Russian city of St. Petersburg. Being
a treasure trove of biodiversity, the
Ghats irrevocably needs tender
treatment and unfailing protection.
Thirty nine sites of the Ghats have
been selected as heritage sites by
the World Heritage Committee. The
Committee viewed that the Ghats
represents geomorphic features
of immense importance with
unique biophysical and ecological
processes.
However, it is dolesome to
note that the Ghats is subjected to
rigorous exploitation of mankind.
The ecological imbalance and
the irregular rhythm of nature is
mainly attributed to the unfettered
axing of trees and thus paving the
way for the desertiication of the
zone. The concomitant occurrence
of lood and drought, soil erosion,
landmining etc are the deleterious
fall-outs of the deforestation drive of
mankind. The Red Data published
in 2012 signal that the lora and
The author is Research Oficer, District Planning Ofice, Civil Station Palakkad, Kerala
36
e.
f.
of
37
b.
c.
d.
Tr a in in g an d a w a r e n e s s
programmes, administrative
expenses etc
e.
Preparation of watershed
master plan, topo sheets,
cadastral map etc
f.
Period of implementation
(usually three years)
g.
Zone #3
Allow New mining license
only if scarce minerals not
available on the plains.
Existing mines should be
under strict regulation and
social audit.
Allow new industries but
with strict regulation and
social audit.
River projects/dams
Power plants
Transport
Tourism
www.mrunal.org
38
39
ATER LOGGING
is one of the major
problems of land
degradation in
India. Unscientiic
management of
soil, water and crops in irrigated
lands and obstruction of natural
drainage systems by various
developmental activities are
the main factors responsible for
disrupting the balance of inlow
and outlow of water, leading to
water logging. While irrigation has
increased by leaps and bounds, its
attendant problem of water logging
is now plaguing substantial area
of agricultural lands. says the
Report of the Report of the Working
Group on Flood Management and
Region Speciic Issues for XII th
Plan. Water logging is a problem
that has not received the attention
it deserves leading to the loss
of agriculture, one of the major
employment source in the flood
prone areas of India. We shall go
into some details of the problem
with special reference to Bihar.
It was imperative
on the part of the
government to work
on improving the
drainage, widening
the span of culverts
and bridges and
remove impediments
to the low of
water to the extent
possible
The author is Convenor, Barh Mukti Abhiyan, Bihar and an expert on India's river system.
YOJANA June 2013
41
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
Table-1
LOWLANDS
- Flat agricultural/ horticulture,
grazing lands
HILLS,
- Rocky outcrops with arid
vegetation
FOREST ECOSYSTEMS
- Dry deciduous arid forest of the
Ridge.
VALLEYS
- Natural storm water drains.
FRESHWATER
WETLANDS
- Lakes and ponds.
RIVERINE ECOSYSTEM - River and lood plains
51
MANUFACTURING
Service and Light industry
Open scrub
Extensive &Heavy Industry
Special Industrial Zone
Hazardous, Chemical and Noxious
PUBLIC &SEMI-PUBLIC
Govt./Semi Govt./Public Ofices
Cliff &caves
Govt. Land(Use Undetermined)
Open scrub to woodland
Educational &Research
Open scrub to woodland
Medical &Health
Open scrub to woodland
Social, Cultural& Religious
Open scrub
Utilities &Services
Open scrub
Cremation &Burial Grounds
Open scrub to woodland
RECREATION
Playgrounds, Stadium, Sports Complex
Open scrub to woodland
Parks &Gardens (Public open spaces)
Open scrub to woodland
Multipurpose Open Space (Maidan)
Open scrub to woodland
TRANSPORTATION &COMMUNICATION
Roads
Railways
Airport
Open scrub
Sea port &Dockyards
Bus Depots Truck Terminal & Freight
Complexes.
Transmission &Communication
AGRICULTURE
Agriculture
Open scrub
Forest
Woodland
Brick Kilns &Extractive Area
Water Bodies
Wetland
SPECIAL AREA
Old Built-up Areas
Heritage & Conservation
Scenic Value Areas
Open scrub to woodland
Village Settlement
Other Uses
Table-3
Air pollution sinks within open and green
spaces (performed by parks, city forests )
Density of Development
eg. Single family residential
(bunglows, plots) or Multi
family residential (lats, group
housing)
Ground Coverage of Buildings
i.e. the effective open soil/
unpaved area available as
habitat for lora and fauna.
Age of the locality - Preindependence development
has mature trees, native
species, Post 1962 Master
Plan developments have quick
growing, lowering trees and
exotics.
Size of the Landuse Zone
since each landuse is a Patch
as per landscape element
classification, landscape
metrics, such as patch size,
perimeter to area ratio etc.
would effect the species
composition therein.
Regulation
Functions
Urban
Open/
Green
Spaces
Of Delhi
Production
Functions
Aesthetic information.
Information
Functions
Readers may send in their views/suggestions on the articles published in Yojana at the
e-mail:yojanace@gmail.com
YOJANA June 2013
53
IODIVERSITY
P R O V I D E S
material and nonmaterial wealth in
the form of food,
fiber, medicine,
happiness, peace, and so on for
human communities. Loss of
biodiversity means jeopardize of
prospect and progress of human
society.
Sanctuary established on 10 th
August, 1999 by a State Government
Notification. The sanctuary is
well known for many bird species
which are very endangered and
enlisted in the threatened species
list. It is important to note that
this bird sanctuary has also been
revealing ecological and geotourism
value. But it is observed that this
biologically rich sanctuary has lost
its earlier status of ecological and
geotourism signiicance in recent
years due to misuse and unwise use
The author is Assistant Professor of Geography, Moran College, Assam. Dr. K. Kalita is Assistant Professor of Geography
Tinsukia College, Assam
YOJANA June 2013
55
Species
Endangered
Critically Endangered
Vulnerable
Near Threatened
56
Name
Greater Adjutant
Oriental White-black Vulture
Slender-billed Vulture
Spot-billed Pelican
Lesser Adjutant
Black-breasted Parrot bill
Swamp Florican
Greater Spotted Eagle
Pallass Fish Eagle
Bears Pochard
Darter
Black-neck Stork
Ferruginous Pochard
58
India
69.5
55.3
57.8
24.2
Andhra Pradesh
70.8
62.9
56.4
23.3
Arunachal Pradesh
56.9
50.6
49.2
28
Assam
69.6
69.5
72
39.6
78
67.4
60.2
34.3
71.2
57.5
63.1
27
Bihar
Chhattisgarh
Goa
38.2
38
36.9
10.4
Gujarat
67.7
55.3
60.8
22.2
Haryana
72.3
56.1
69.7
19.2
Himachal Pradesh
54.7
43.3
37
18.9
58.6
53.1
54
19.5
Jharkhand
70.3
69.5
68.4
36.5
Karnataka
70.4
51.5
59.5
19.1
Kerala
44.5
32.8
33.1
Madhya Pradesh
74.1
56
57.9
25.6
Maharashtra
63.4
48.4
57.8
16.8
Manipur
41.1
35.7
36.4
11.4
Meghalaya
64.4
47.2
56.1
36.7
Mizoram
44.2
38.6
49.3
19.4
Nagaland
65
61.2
68.1
33.9
Orissa
Punjab
66.4
38
41.6
13.6
Rajasthan
69.7
53.1
61.2
23.6
Sikkim
59.2
60
53.1
25
Tamil Nadu
64.2
53.2
53.3
16.5
Tripura
62.9
65.1
57.6
35.5
Uttar Pradesh
73.9
40.9
51.6
24.3
Uttarakhand
61.4
55.2
45.2
29.2
West Bengal
61
63.2
62.6
32.3
A & N Islands
Chandigarh
D & N Haveli
57
44.3
29.9
17.8
Lakshadweep
Puducherry
Delhi