Inter-connections between Civilians and Environment

Lack of communication among our enforcing agencies needs to be blamed. As long as our ministries do not consult each other and work in coordination, nothing is going to change. One big problem is that the railway is not talking to roadways and roadways is not talking to environment. Every department is working in the abstract and in isolation. In the current circumstances, there are various areas of development that are demanding coordination and communication between different ministries. Until that happens, how we hope to implement any of the promises made in agreement.

Public opinion should always be considered, that’s how a democracy works. There is no denying we are facing a real crisis and it has become imperative to put every development plan in public domain. Civil society should get the opportunity to be a part of decision making. Especially when it comes to urbanization and development, public hearing becomes essential. The government can’t help us in the dark and take decisions in isolation.

The idea of progress needs to change in our country and citizens can challenge it. If urbanization was the answer to our problems, we would not have been facing the climate challenges that we do today. At local levels, citizens need to question every small and big project, the manner in which infrastructural development is taking place at the cost of public and environment health. While demonstrations will help in drawing attention to the cause, eventually legal recourse can overturn major decisions.

Environmentalism is not a synonym of obstructionism, it is infect pro-progress and pro-human development. When people demonstrate on an issue publicly, it is perceived as agitation. When raising concerns over an anti-environment project, the first step for citizens should be coming together and having face-to-face communications with their elected leaders. Seek appointments, meet the ministers, and explain to them the pros and cons with a scientific and rational voice backing you up. If it does not work, then comes the time for mass agitations.

There is a false notion that human beings can recreate what nature has done for us. Very often, a counterargument goes, ‘So what if we are losing certain amount of green cover, we are planting so many trees.’ However, what we don’t realize is that it is impossible for us to replicate the benefits of age-old trees. Taking away green cover in the name of development and justifying it by planting sapling nothing but irrational.

It is unfortunate that so much lack of awareness lies within our system. There is an evident need to bring more consciousness in policy making and even in the legal framework. Like in the case of Mumbai’s Aarey forest, the authorities chose to ignore alternatives suggested by experts. Why should the government be so indifferent towards environment, despite the challenges that we are facing today? Why are not they choosing better and sustainable alternatives when they exist?

Until and unless every politician and every administrator in our country recognizes that human lives and environment are inter-connected, nothing can change. There is more and more understanding about this in the world where policy makers are ascertaining this inter-relationship. We can only hope that it happens in India soon, before it’s too late.

Silent Spring- “Those who contemplate the beauty of the earth find reserves of strength that will endure as long as life lasts. There is something infinitely healing in repeated refrains of nature- the assurance that dawn comes after night, and spring after winter.”

Matter Referenced:

Dia Mirza on World Earth Day. Times of India, Ahmedabad, Monday, 22nd April, 2019.

By: Dr. Bhawana Asnani.

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