Task
Ahead For New Government: Green Agenda For Sustainable Punjab
By Umendra Dutt
03 March, 2007
Countercurrents.org
The
SAD-BJP government has assumed office in Punjab. Obviously the new government
will announce its plan with in few days. These elections were fought
on the issue of development. It is a fashion to brand every economic
and construction activity –the development. The development has
become very catchy phrase these days. Every body talks about development,
but despite being known as developed state Punjab is experiencing the
burns of this so-called development. It is one of most debt ridden state;
it has witnessed thousands of farmers' suicides, its environment is
one of most degraded, it has almost lost its precious wealth of natural
resources, it is in midst of the most severe environmental health crisis
in the world. Ironically this developed state was the first where indebted
villages had put themselves on sale.
And yet the our planners
and politicians are mesmerized to develop further more on the same lines
without any corrections in line of action, without analyzing the errors
in the developmental path, without any kind of review and evaluation
that what went wrong where and how? There is still a chouse about what
should be the development path for Punjab. And notwithstanding the adversities
of the unsustainable development, nature abusive agriculture systems
and perishable growth model there is no discussion on corrective measures.
The SAD-BJP government has
taken the reins at a very crucial juncture; the new government can play
a historic role by evolving a Green Agenda for Sustainable Punjab. The
new government should demonstrate that it is highly concerned about
the ecological and agricultural catastrophe leading to farmer's suicides,
depleting natural resources, degraded environment, and intense environmental
health crisis posing a serious socio-economic and ecological challenge
to the state. The new government should resolve to adopt the green agenda
for a sustainable Punjab with an imperishable prosperity which will
be free of debt, suicides, displacement and diseases caused due to environmental
discrepancy.
The first step in this direction
the new government can take is that it should bring out its 'Vision
for Sustainable Punjab' with in minimum stipulated time. The vision
paper should target the issue of ecological and agricultural sustainability
of Punjab. This vision paper should be widely circulated in public for
discussions to evolve a road map for sustainable agriculture, sustainable
development and sustainable environment. After all only this kind of
sustainability can assure sustainable prosperity to the Punjab. The
new government should resolve to make this commitment an agenda for
each and every citizen of Punjab . Actually there should be a political
and social consensus on this Green Agenda so that this ought to be a
participatory action.
Secondly, another new initiative
the SAD-BJP government should take on priority bases is formation of
'Punjab State Environment Commission' as a statuary body with Chief
Minister as its Chairman. The proposed Environment Commission will be
first of its kind in India. The Environment Commission shall protect
the environmental rights of people of Punjab to get clean air, pure
water, and to the preservation of the natural, beautiful, historical,
esthetic, cultural and spiritual values of the environment. It will
also monitor the environmental duties to be obeyed by the people, as
natural resources of Punjab are the common property of all the people,
including generations yet to come. The present generation is mere trustee
and as trustees of these resources it is their duty to conserve them
for coming generations.
Then another important issue
is to establish Cancer Hospital in Malwa region. The new government
is bound to do this as this was promised by Akali Dal in its election
manifesto. Beside this cancer hospital the new government should take
the care of entire environmental health scenario in Punjab. As cancer
is only one aspect of environmental health catastrophe, there are other
dimensions also to this crisis. There is urgent need to establish Punjab
Institute for Environmental Health Research and Studies in Malwa region.
The proposed institute should be headed by an eminent environmental
epidemiologist of the international repute and exposure. The institute
shall have Regional Centers in various regions of the State. Then, another
most important step the SAD-BJP government must take is to undertake
a widespread and multicentric environmental epidemiological mapping
through an extensive study and participatory research . This study is
already recommended by PGIMER –PPCB study on cancer, interestingly
the previous government had put all recommendations in dust bin only.
The new government can take lead in this issue. This study must be entrusted
to the proposed Institute for Environmental Health Research.
The Environmental health
crisis with such intensity ,can only be mitigate by large scale community
intervention and participation thus the new government should form a
Environmental Health Mitigation Task Force under the aegis of Institute
for Environmental Health with majority participation from NGOs and farmer
groups. A senior Epidemiologist or Environmentalist should head this
task force with powers minimum of the secretary rank to the Government.
This task force would be constituted by taking members from medical
fraternity, social activists, and teachers of life sciences, farmers
and experts from various governmental departments.
The south western Malwa is
facing most severe environmental health crisis. This entire area should
be treated as the toxic hot spot. To focus its efforts government must
declared and imposed immediately the state of ecological and environmental
health emergency in the entire belt. For this specially drawn plans
are needed with specific focus on the natural and organic farming, with
adequately allocated funds for the targeted problem.
The agriculture of Punjab needs a fresh vision for its sustainability
as well as sustainability of natural resources. To take up this issue
with urgent priority the SAD-BJP government should formulate a policy
and action plan with a fixed time frame to promote sustainable agricultural
practices and various eco-friendly methods of farming. Special budget
allocations should be made available for the purpose. There should be
a bottom-up formulation of a coherent Sustainable Agriculture Policy
for the state of Punjab . This should have a pro-organic stance.
The SAD-BJP government should
evolve special support systems to promote sustainable agriculture practices
of natural and organic farming. The government should take lead to implement
the recommendations made by Task Force on Organic Farming headed by
Dr. Kunwarji Bhai Jadav constituted by NDA government in centre, which
brought out its report in November 2001. The implementation of these
recommendations shall become an instrument to empower farmers and local
economy.
The new government should
provide incentives to farmers for community level production and supply
of natural and organic inputs and produce as it is offered by some other
states. The Government should also make sure that farmers get proper
price for their natural and organic produce. Of course there is Punjab
State Organic Farming Council is already working in this direction.
But, its entire thrust is export orientated certainly it will not benefited
the farmers of Punjab. More there is wider question that is pesticide
free produce is only meant for foreign markets? Do the ordinary citizen
of Punjab not have right to get pesticide free stuff? When the data
from All India Coordinated Research Project on Pesticidal Residue clearly
indicates presence of DDT, HCH and BHC in cereals, milk, butter, fruits,
vegetables and even infant formula samples from Punjab and the edibles
have residues of other pesticides like Phosphamidon, Quinalphos, Chlorpyriphos,
Endosulfan, Malathion, Parathion, Monocrotophos and lindane it is a
alarm bell for a devastation in offing. More over the presence of pesticides
in blood as detected by Centre for Science and Environment also raises
serious questions. CSE report states the presence of cocktail of 6 to
13 pesticides in blood samples. CSE also find organo-chlorine and residues
of the newer and so-called 'non-persistent' pesticides – organophosphates
in blood. This situation demands that pesticide free food must be first
offered to Punjabi people, but Organic Farming Council of Punjab has
no vision and commitment in this regard. The new government should take
initiative to revamp and reconstitute the organic farming council.
The SAD-BJP government can
set an example for rest of country by establishing an autonomous Institute
for Sustainable Agriculture in Punjab headed by a person with vast experience
in natural and organic farming practices. This institute should be autonomous
in working, policy formulations and adoption of techniques. The institute
shall be guided by a governing Council drawing experts and practicing
farmers from all over the country. This council shall have representation
from the civil society organizations and practicing organic and natural
farmers with a bottom up approach.
The SAD-BJP government must
show its deep committed to the welfare of farmers and should ensure
farmers a proper take home salary. For this purpose the government has
to constitute an 'Income Commission for Farmers'. Eminent agriculture
policy expert Dr Davinder Sharma has already put forward this concept
on various forums.
As Punjab has suffered the
most severe ecological crisis, thus it needs a paradigm shift to save
from ecological suicide. Let be there first ever ecological audit to
seek an analysis on ecological condition of Punjab. A high power working
group has to be constituted by involving independent experts to take
up this study. This group must be free from green revolution mindset.
This is indeed very important to get a clear picture of ecological damages
and hence to evolve a strategy for ecological revival and environmental
sustainability of the Punjab.
Other critical issue of ecological
sustainability is crisis of water resources. Depletion and contamination
of water resources and providing safe potable water to the people is
one of the most sought after task for the new government in Punjab.
The water crisis in Punjab is escalating day by day. In 1984 there were
53 blocks as dark zones, in 1995 they were 84 and in 2005 the figure
went up to 108 out of total 138 development blocks in Punjab. Ground
water level falling much faster then assumed. In 1973 only 3% area of
Punjab has water table below 10 meters, it goes up to 14.9% in 1989,
20% in 1992, and 28% in 1997, 53% in 2000, 76% in 2002 and in 2004 the
situation goes beyond expectations when 90% area of Punjab is drawing
water from the depth of more then 10 meters. More over 30% area of Punjab
has depth of 20 meters or even more. In 1980 there are 3712 villages
identified as drinking water problem villages, this figure went up to
6287 in 1990, and then in year 2000 the number goes as high as 8518
and as of now 11849 villages or habitations out of total 12423 in Punjab
are facing drinking water problems.
It is high time to save
every drop of water by a participatory community action. Punjab has
sufficient amount of rain fall and harnessing the rain water shall revive
its empty ground water aquifers. More over the traditional water wisdom
could provide potable water to large number of villages in Malwa, where
water scarcity has brought doom for the villagers.
The SAD-BJP government should
make rain water harvesting mandatory in whole of Punjab accept the areas
under water logging. To administer this community led initiative, 'Save
Water Mission' should be formed with large scale membership of community
groups. An advisory board drawing water experts and water warriors from
all over India shall be constituted to steer the proposed Save Water
Mission.
Environmental crises are
to be dealt holistically, with inter disciplinary interventions and
multisectorial approach with large scale community participation in
planning, implementation, monitoring and evaluation. 'Unidirectional
and de-bureaucratized' earnest effort is urgently needed to take up
environmental conservation to bring Punjab out of present ecological
catastrophe. This is the need of the hour to ensure safe and sustainable
future of coming generations of Punjab.
Viewing this problem the
SAD-BJP government should initiate a state level water conservation
drive with all inclusive community participation. The state government
must formulate a time bound action plan to rejuvenate the old and to
build new water bodies across the Punjab by involving Panchayati Raj
Institutions, civic bodies, farmers and farmers groups, village youth
clubs, civil society groups, religious and social organizations, educational
institutes and various governmental departments. Will the new government
make river action plan after learning lessons from innovative initiative
of rejuvenating Kali Bain rivulet by Sant Balbir Singh Sencheewal? Government
should come forward with a concrete action plan to revive all rivulets
and ensure pollution free flow of its rivers.
Lastly the most important
aspect of water conservation is State Water Policy. The Punjab has a
draft water policy from last two years and it has to be finalized. But,
this draft is totally based on National Water Policy which very much
corporate oriented. The new government of Punjab should dare to take
a bold decision to redraft state water policy very mush in accordance
with water heritage, ethos and values of Punjab. The government should
immediately call open dialogue on water policy and must circulate the
present draft for wider public participation in water governance.
These are few urgent task
chalked could be part of Green Agenda for Sustainable Punjab. Would
the new government show its commitment for Environmental justice to
all living beings and sustainability of natural resources?
The Punjab is awaiting the
government that dare to take up the challenge of paradigm shift.
Author is Executive Director of Kheti Virasat Mission. Jaitu, Faridkot
district based environmental NGO in Punjab . Phone: 9872682161, E-mail:
[email protected])
The Kheti Virasat Mission
- KVM
The KVM is a nor for profit
conscious civil society organization established in March 2005 and registered
as a charitable trust with head office at Jaitu town of district Faridkot.
KVM is working in the field
of natural farming, sustainable agriculture, conservation of natural
resources, environmental health and eco-sustainable technologies.