Caught up in the maelstrom of divisive politics, India is silently but surely sliding into an environmental abyss under Mr. Modi's watch. The latest EPI ( Environmental Performance Index) report released on the sidelines of the WEF conclave at Davos puts us at third from the bottom- at 177 out of 180 countries, a decline of 36 places since 2016 ( when we were at 141). We do even worse in the index of air quality, at 178 out of 180. The country is turning toxic in just about every indicator- its waters, air, pollution, health- but of particular concern is what the governments- centre and states- are doing do its green cover and forests.
According to a new study by the WRI ( World Resources Institute) the country lost 1.6 million hectares of tree cover, and 16 million trees, between 2001 and 2018, of which 9.4 million trees were felled in just the last four years. In terms of climate change implications the effect of this large scale deforestation is disastrous: since each mature tree can absorb 22kg of carbon dioxide in a year, in four years we have added almost 900 million tonnes of carbon dioxide per year to our air ( which could otherwise have been sequestered by these 9.4 million trees). But nobody in the government appears to be concerned, beyond regurgitating cooked up figures to show that our green cover is going up, not down, as all independent agencies stress. The UN has expressed reservations about our methodology for computing forest cover by including commercial plantations, orchards and taking a 2 meter height of trees instead of the internationally accepted figure of 5 meters. ( Inspite of our fudging, the area under Moderately Dense Forests, which make up the bulk of the carbon sink, has declined by 10000 sq. kms between 2013 and 2019 ( Forest Survey of India figures). But this is a standard operating procedure for this govt., whether on the economy, tiger count, crimes, suicides or anything that may reflect adversely on its performance.
The long term implications of what it is doing to the country's forest cover, however, is extremely worrying. The UPA, for all its other faults, was alive to the imperative of protecting the natural environment and had put in place a robust mechanism to ensure this, including "no-go" areas for mining, the Forests Right Act, regulations for coastal zones, eco-zone buffers for Protected Areas, a National Green Tribunal ( only the third in the world),etc. But the present BJP regime has devoted the last five years to dismantling this safety net to the point where the Ministry of Environment and Forest is but a pet poodle on a tight leash, tasked with ensuring "ease of business" rather than saving the environment. Two recent proposals will further decimate the environment.
Under the garb of strengthening compensatory afforestation it has proposed to allow "production forests" or commercial plantations in degraded forest areas, under the PPP route. This is nothing but an insidious attempt to favour private entities and to manipulate the forest cover figures. It is an attempt to monetise forests and a failure to recognise that forests provide not only timber but also bio-diversity, water, livelihood for tribals, which will be at grave risk from the monoculture nature of commercial plantations. It will also fragment continuous blocks of forests, disturbing wildlife and their corridors, and allow the ingress of "outsiders" with the resultant fall out of poaching, theft of NTFP, etc.
Instead of coming out with a revised forest policy to replace the current 1988 policy which cannot cope with today's challenges, the govt. is instead initiating ad-hoc measures to allow further commercial intrusion into pristine native forests. A prime example is the Saranda- Chaibasa forests in Jharkhand's Singbhum district- India's largest contiguous Sal tract spread over 82000 hectares or 820 square miles. Not only does it function as a huge carbon sink, it has abundant bio-diversity, wildlife and is a source for livelihood for marginalised tribals. Discounting these concerns, the govt. has now sought a reassessment and review of its mining plan, earlier prepared by ICFRE which had classified it as a no-go area for mining. This will open the doors to commercial exploitation of other swathes of forests for mining, power and other projects.
Saranda-Chaibasa is not an isolated case: 500 projects in forests and Protected Areas have been cleared by the National Wildlife Board between 2014 and 2018, which is one reason why the country has lost 120000 hectares of primary forest in the last five years. Other examples of similar desecration are:
[1] Diversion of 1038 hectares of forest land in Sambalpur and Jharsuguda districts of Odisha for an NLC/ Adani coal mining project. This involves felling of 1.30 lakh trees ( of which 40000 have already been felled) and displacement of 1894 tribal families. The villagers allege that the mandatory Gram Sabha consent has been forged.
[2] In the Western Ghats of Karnataka 2 million trees are at risk from 20 power projects. These include a 2000MW power project in the Sharavathy valley sanctuary, one of the last remaining habitats of the lion tailed macaque, an IUCN notified endangered species. 500 acres of verdant tropical forests are being diverted for the purpose. Another 150 acres is being denuded in the Anshi National Park in the Eco-sensitive Zone of the Ghats, and 177 hectares adjacent to the Kali tiger reserve, for a power line.
[3] 106000 trees will be felled, and 14 natural lakes filled in, for the Jewar airport in NOIDA in the Delhi NCR area, already perhaps the most polluted tract in the world.
[4] The Hasdeo Anand forests in Chattisgarh stretch for 170000 hectares and are perhaps the last remaining contiguous forest patches in central India. They provide environmental services and values which are incalculable in mere monetary terms. 30 coal blocks have been identified within it but till now it was a "no-go" area for mining. The BJP govt., however, true to form has now granted environmental clearance for open cast mining to commence on one of the blocks, Parsa, and has approved diversion of 841 hectares in the very heart of the forest. It will not be long before the other blocks are also taken up. This is the beginning of the end of these forests. Incidentally, guess which company will operate the mine? Rajasthan Collieries, Ltd.- a unit of Adani Enterprises Ltd.
Why are our governments and policy makers so blind to the world around us, and to the unfolding climate induced apocalypse waiting in the wings? As I've said before, the debate is no longer about striking a balance between development and the natural environment; that balance has already been skewed in favour of the former- the issue which we should now recognize is about restoring that balance. The world took a pledge at the recently concluded WEF at Davos to plant one trillion trees, and here we are, busily chopping down the ones that remain. Has Mr. Modi accomplished his environmental goals by claiming the Champion of the Earth award in 2018 at the UN? How on the same earth will he fulfill his grand announcement of reclaiming an additional 5 million hectares of degraded forest area by 2030? Or of sequestering an additional two billion tonnes of carbon dioxide by the same date?
Climate change and environmental disaster cannot be averted by fudging figures, winning awards or making tall promises. Unfortunately, till now we have had evidence of little else. What will it take to start saving our trees?
An amazing collection and collation of examples that devastatingly expose the false, tall claims the government keeps making about its environmental piety, as is true for much else from dilution of the Forest Rights Act (FRA) to strengthening atavistic provisions of the Indian Forest Act (IFA) to privatising plantations and eventually forests. That forest cover and related figures are fudged is now a recognised (though unacknowledged) feature In the biennial State of Forest Reports and this is also the reason why FSI refuses to share raw data when actually the methodology and results should have greatly improved in accuracy over the years. We believe in strengthening our institutions by making their functioning more opaque and putting a lot of useless information / data on their websites! Of course, one cannot ask questions and even if one can (through RTI for example), forget about getting a satisfactory and timely reply! In fact, hiding facts / figures or brushing them under the carpet (depending on who’s to answer) is now SOP (standard operating procedure) of many departments and ministries. Look at the indifference and nonchalance on the threat of extinction of myriad species of flora and fauna. It is not known or clear who in government is the right authority and competent to talk about species extinction authentically? The BSI has not updated its RED DATA books for decades now and in any case their Red Listing is outdated and methodology dubious. Even as an extinction tsunami is underway and accelerating due to climate change, it is exasperating to confront the deafening silence of the MOEF&CC.
ReplyDeleteAs if nothing is happening!
Without State government's recommendation, none of the listed forestland diversions and consanguineous tree felling would have happened (subject being on the concurrent list). Absolving the State Governments completely in this saga and instead blaming the bête noire of the piece does little to hide the bias. Many States are ruled by non-BJP parties and today all coal bearing States are in the hands of non-BJP dispensations. Therefore, the blame has to be apportioned appropriately.
ReplyDeleteThe age old debate (development versus conservation) is not fully settled yet. Afforestation and re-forestation (called by any name - Compensatory Afforestation, rehabilitation of degraded forests etc) requires land which is finite, extremely limited and highly politicised resource. The loop is not closed by merely replacing the forests. Fossil fuels burnt (Indian energy mix shows heavy dependence upon thermal sources chiefly coal) has released billions of tonnes of carbon in the atmosphere. It (carbon) has not only to be captured but also be to be put back from where it came. At the same time, large number of mined out areas are not re-filled/rehabilitated since last 50 years or so. Hence, in the present efforts, the carbon loop remains open-ended. Bio-geo-sequestered recycling will close the carbon loop and this is the answer the world is looking for. Raising trees captures carbon but it does not put the carbon back into the mine caverns. If the captured carbon is put back in mine voids and forest is coppiced several times over the same land, it would reduce land requirement for sequestering carbon. In this manner, carbon capture and sequestration can be carried out for long and without having to afforest entire land mass of the earth. Closing the loop – a case for bio-geo-sequestered recycling of carbon – And resting the argument here (for the time being).
In his own way, MMA is validating my arguments. Carbon Capture and Sequestration ( CCS) may be the ultimate solution and countries are working on it. The problem is monumental: over 800 billion tonnes already present in the atmosphere has to be captured but currently only about 4 billion tonnes is being captured every year. Given that our current emissions are going up, not down, it is estimated that we need to capture about 80 billion tonnes every year if we are to restrict the temperature increase to 1.5 degree celsius by 2050. Therefore, it is all the more important that we preserve our green cover so that its capacity to capture at least the current emissions is not reduced. As MMA says, afforestation is not the solution even if it is done efficiently, which it is not- we all know that compensatory afforestation in no way compensates for the trees cut. And then there is the loss of bio-diversity, water, environmental services and livelihoods of tribals associated with loss of forests. The development versus environment argument has run its course- the priority now has to be the environment, otherwise homo sapiens won't be around for long enough to savour the benefits of "development."
DeleteAre we then barking up the wrong tree?
DeleteEver increasing demand of consumables that drives forestland diversion and tree felling is what needs to be addressed and that is directly an expression of lifestyle/way of living. That needs change to simpler living with much smaller carbon footprint. Possibly various religious leaders and media/advertising/business houses guide lifestyle and way of living more than anyone else (we gave up on Samskars); hence, gurus and/or barons control consumer behavior and the resultant carbon footprint. So, 'Buddham Sharnam Gachchhami' is the only option left. QED.
Absolutely right: modern lifestyles are unsustainable and we need to change our consumption habits. As I've written earlier, this is not just the responsibility of governments alone- the global citizen also has to do his bit. Or soon there will be no tree left to bark up!
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