Yojana English January 2020 Final PDF

YOJANA
ISSN-0971-8400
January 2020 a development monthly ` 22
Environment Lead article

India at UNFCCC COP 25
SPECIAL ARTICLES
Kayakalp: Transforming Public Health Facilities
Preeti Sudan
Sustainable Sanitation in Cities
Durga Shanker Mishra
Interview
Prof. M.S. Swaminathan
Focus
Water Management:
Building a Resilient Nation
Unicef Wash Team
Development Roadmap
The Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly

I t is a great honour for me to address the 74th
Session of the United Nations on behalf of 1.3
billion Indians.
When a developing country is able to successfully
implement the world’s biggest sanitation campaign,
building over 110 million toilets in just 5 years for its
countrymen, all its achievements and outcomes are
an inspirational message for the entire world.
When a developing country, successfully
runs the world’s biggest health insurance scheme,
giving 500 million people the facility of an annual
health cover of Rs. 500,000 for free treatment; the
achievements and responsive systems that result
from this scheme show the world a new path.
As I came in here, on a wall at the entrance to
this building, I noticed the sign, ‘no more single use
plastic’ I am pleased to inform this assembly that
even as I am addressing you today, a very large campaign is being implemented across the entire country to make India
free of single use plastic.
In the next 5 years, apart from promoting water conservation, we are going to ensure water supply to 150 million
homes. We are going to build over 125,000 kilometers of new roads. By the year 2022, when India celebrates its 75th
Independence day, we plan to build 20 million houses for the poor. Though the world may have set itself the target of
eradicating TB by 2030, in India we are working towards eradicating it by 2025.
About 3000 years ago, a great poet of India, Kariyan Pungun-dra-naar, wrote in Tamil the most ancient language of
the world: “Ya-dum, Oo-ray, Yaav-rum Ke-rir”, which means “We belong to all places, and to everyone.” This sense of
belonging beyond borders, is unique to India.
In the last 5 years, India has worked towards strengthening its centuries old great tradition of fraternity among
nations and welfare of the world, which is indeed, in line with the key objectives of the United Nations. The issues that
India raises, the kind of new global platforms that India has come forward to build, seek collective efforts to address
serious global challenges and issues.
If you look at it from a historic and per capita emission perspective, India’s contribution to Global Warming is very
low. However, India is one of the leading nations when it comes to taking steps to address this issue. On one hand, we
are working towards achieving the target of 450 Giga Watts of renewable energy, and on the other hand, we have also
taken the initiative to create the International Solar Alliance. One of the effects of Global Warming is the increasing
number and severity of natural disasters, and at the same time they are appearing in new areas and in new forms. In view
of this, India has initiated the formation of the “Coalition for Disaster Resilient Infrastructure” (CDRI). This coalition
will help build infrastructure which can withstand natural disasters.
The face of the world is changing today. Modern technology in the 21st century is bringing about sweeping
changes in social life, personal life, economy, security, connectivity and international relations. Neither do we have the
option to confine ourselves within our boundaries. In this new era, we will have to give new direction and energy to
multilateralism, and to the United Nations.
One hundred and twenty-five years ago, the Great Spiritual Guru, Swami Vivekananda, gave this message to
the world during the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago. The message was, “Harmony and Peace… and not
Dissension”.
Today, the message from the world’s largest democracy, for the International community is still the same: “Harmony
and Peace”.
(Excerpts from the PM's speech at UNGA on 27 September, 2019)
Source: Press Information Bureau

Website: www.yojana.gov.in
January 2020
CHIEF EDITOR
Rajinder Chaudhry
Volume-64
No. 1
Let noble thoughts come to us from all sides

YOJANA Since 1956 A DEVELOPMENT MONTHLY
Rig Veda
EditorS
Shuchita chaturvedi
sumita mukherjee
Joint Director (Production)
In This Issue
Vinod Kumar Meena
COVER DESIGN
Lead Article special articles
Gajanan Pralhadrao Dhope
Our Representatives Union Minister for Environment, Kayakalp: Transforming Public
Ahmedabad: Janhavi Patel, Bengaluru: B.K. Forest and Climate Change Health Facilities
Kiranmai Bhubaneswar: Girish Chandra Dash, at UNFCCC COP 25................................. 7 Preeti Sudan.........................................11
Chennai: Sanjay Ghosh, Guwahati: Ramani
Kant Sharma, Hyderabad: Vijayakumar Vedagiri, Sustainable Sanitation in Cities
Jalandhar: Gagandeep Kaur Devgan, Kolkata: Durga Shanker Mishra..........................15
Khurshid Malik, Mumbai: Umesh Sadashivarao
Ujgare: Thiruvananthapuram: Roy Chacko
Focus
Chief Editor’s Office:
Room No. 763, Soochna Bhawan, CGO Complex, Water management: Building a
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Resilient Nation
Yojana (English): Room No. 647, Soochna Bhawan,
CGO Complex, Lodhi Road, New Delhi - 110 003. Unicef Wash Team............................... 22
E-mail (Editorial): yojanace@gmail.com
YOJANA seeks to provide a vibrant platform for
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development of the country through in-depth Disaster Management and
analysis of these issues in the wider context of
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YOJANA is not restricted to expressing the official
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DISCLAIMER: The views expressed in various Mitigation of Carbon Footprint
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Government or the organisation they work Prof. M.S. Swaminathan...............32 Dr. T. V. Ramachandra
for. l Maps/flags used in the articles are only Bharath Settur, Vinay S.
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or legal representation of the flag of India/any
Bharath H. Aithal...................................36
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4 YOJANA January 2020

YOJANA
Time to Act
T
he air quality index touches alarmingly dangerous levels frequently;
contamination of groundwater is a stark reality of today; water tables
are receding; oceans are rising; air is being polluted by vehicles and
industries; plastic waste is clogging the entire ecosystem and landfills are
becoming a part of the skyline of our cities.
The environment is showing signs of this degradation which is bound to
affect each one of us. Frequent floods, drought, abrupt weather cycle, crop
pattern changes, receding coastal areas are some of these red flags glaring at
the humanity. Decades of environmental decay is eventually posing threat to
the entire ecosystem we are in – living standards are compromised, health is
affected, and above all, it questions the entire existence of the current models
of growth and development.
Sustainability and development need to go hand in hand. The waste we
generate, if not properly managed, is a burden to the environment – single-
use plastic is an evident example of this use-and-throw culture of waste
generation we have developed over the years. There is an economy around environment, and also the economy
in general is impacted by climate change and its mitigation. This poses a challenge and also an underlying
opportunity.
Environment is a typical case of what we sow, so we reap. Our collective actions impact the environment
we share, as climate change doesn’t distinguish between rich and poor. With the time running out to contain the
ill-effects on environment, the recently held Conference of the Parties under the United Nations Framework
Convention on Climate Change (UNFCC COP 25) in Madrid, Spain was seen as a window of opportunity.
Together, the world has to come to a consensus to stand as one to overcome this challenge.
India has shown leadership and commitment on environmental issues. Achieving targets for renewable
energy under the Paris Agreements push for e-vehicles and vehicle emission norms, Coalition for Disaster
Resilient Infrastructure and International Solar Alliance are some of the fronts in which India has led by
example.
This issue of Yojana gives detailed analyses on an array of topics concerning environment. We are fortunate
to have the perspective of Prof. M.S. Swaminathan in the issue, who has been contributing to Yojana since
1960s and has shared his profound views on promoting sustainable agriculture and climate change.
The environment is at the brim. It is our collective responsibility to work together for providing a brighter
future for the coming generations – a lifestyle that is self-sustaining, resources that are adequate for all,
development that is not compromising our ecosystem, flora-fauna and wildlife that are in safe hands and the
land, water and air that are fit for humans and other forms of life.
This Environment issue of Yojana is a reminder of what Gandhiji had envisioned by saying, ‘the world
has enough for everyone's need, but not enough for everyone's greed.’ The time to act is now. 
YOJANA January 2020 5

YE-1357/2019

lead article
India at UNFCCC COP 25

The Union Minister for Environment,
Forest and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC), Information &
Broadcasting and Heavy Industries
& Public Enterprises Shri Prakash
Javadekar delivered India’s Statement
at the 25th session of Conference of
Parties under the UN framework
convention of Climate Change
(UNFCCC COP 25), in Madrid,
Spain on 10 December, 2019.
Following is the Statement (Excerpts):
Madam President, Excellencies,
Ladies and Gentlemen,
At the outset I would like to quote
Mahatma Gandhi who said “The
future depends on what we do today”.
I would like to convey our the target to 450 Giga Watts at the connections replacing conventional
appreciation to the Government of recent UN Climate Action Summit. firewood cooking stoves. Our cooling
Spain for hosting COP 25 at a short We are simultaneously progressing on action plan and adaptation plan are
notice and for making excellent solar, biomass and wind energy. working well and will achieve our
arrangements. We assure the targets.
We have put carbon tax on coal
Presidency of Chile of our full support production at the rate of Dollars We have promised creation of
for a successful COP. 6 per tonne. Even with 36 parties additional carbon sinks of 2.5 to 3
Climate change is real. The represented in Parliament, we could billion tonnes of carbon equivalent
world recognised it and adopted a achieve this unanimously. through increasing green cover. In
comprehensive agreement in Paris. last five years, our green cover has
The headline is that a commercial increased by 15,000 sq. km. We are
Let us concentrate on implementation flight was operated on 100 percent
of Paris Agreement and not digress. undertaking special projects like urban
biofuel and we are targeting blending forests, school nursery, agroforestry,
If there is an inconvenient truth in of 20% ethanol in petrol by 2030.
the form of climate change, we are water and fodder augmentation in the
We have leapfrogged from Bharat forest area.
providing a convenient action plan. Standard IV to Bharat Standard VI
We are walking the talk. for vehicle emission norms and from India prioritises adaptation as
India has reduced emissions 1 April, 2020, vehicles will be BS VI an integral part of climate actions.
intensity of GDP by 21 percent and is compliant. Therefore, India will be investing
about 50 million dollars in water
on track to achieve the goal of 35% 360 million LED bulbs have conservation. India has taken up a
emissions reduction as promised in been fitted in homes, and 10 million target for restoration of 26 million of
Paris. conventional streetlights have been degraded land by 2030 during the 14th
Prime Minister Modi announced replaced with LED lights. There COP of UN Convention to Combat
175 Giga Watts targets for renewables is also a strong push for use of Desertification in Delhi. This is one
under Paris Agreement. We have e-vehicles by introducing multiple of the largest programs in the world to
already achieved 83 Giga Watts. Prime policy interventions and incentives. ensure carbon sink in land resources.
Minister has subsequently increased We have provided 80 million LPG gas 100% neem coating of urea fertilizer

BASIC Ministerial Joint Statement at UNFCCC COP 25
Following is the BASIC Ministerial Joint Statement at Such implementation must be in accordance with
the 25th session of Conference of Parties under the UN the Convention’s goals and principles, including the
framework convention of Climate Change (UNFCCC principles of equity and common but differentiated
COP 25), in Madrid, Spain. responsibilities and respective capabilities, in light of
1. The Ministers of the Brazil, South Africa, India and different national circumstances.
China group (BASIC) met during the 25th Conference 3. Ministers underlined that COP 25 should achieve
of Parties to the United Nations Framework Convention outcomes as follows:
on Climate Change (COP 25) in Madrid, Spain, on i) To conclude the negotiations related to article 6 of
10th December 2019. The meeting was chaired by the Paris Agreement;
H.E. Mr. Zhao Yingmin, Vice Minister of Ecology ii) To mandate a 2-year Work Programme under SBI
and Environment of the People’s Republic of China, to assess the pre-2020 progress and gaps, with a
and attended by H.E. Mr. Ricardo Salles, Minister of view to making the necessary arrangements to fill
the Environment of Brazil, H.E. Ms. Barbara Creecy, those gaps;
Minister of Environment, Forestry and Fisheries of
the Republic of South Africa, and H.E. Mr. Prakash iii) To urge developed country Parties to fulfil their
Javadekar, Minister for Environment, Forest and commitments on providing finance, technology
Climate Change and Information and Broadcasting of development and transfer and capacity-building
the Republic of India. support to developing countries;
2. The Ministers pledged their full support to the iv) To interpret and implement the provisions of the
Chilean COP Presidency, expressed their gratitude Paris Agreement in a holistic and faithful manner.
to the Kingdom of Spain for hosting the meeting 4. Ministers underscored the importance of concluding
and noted that the central mandate of COP 25 is to the discussions on Article 6 of the Paris Agreement,
prepare the way for the full implementation of the in accordance with the mandates and principles
Paris Agreement in the post-2020 period building set out in the Agreement and the accompanying
upon the climate action efforts under the Convention decision, including ensuring environmental integrity.
and its Protocol. They further stated that the progress Ministers emphasized the importance of keeping
on the pre-2020 agenda will be the benchmark of a balance of the mechanisms under Article 6.2 and
success for this COP. The Paris Agreement, adopted Article 6.4, that share of proceeds should be collected
under the United Nations Framework Convention under both Article 6.2 and Article 6.4, to contribute to
on Climate Change, represents a key milestone in Adaptation Fund. A decision on Article 6, including
the progressive development of multilateralism to its governance and a smooth transition from the
enable the international community to collectively Clean Development Mechanism would preserve the
address climate change, which is of pressing global integrity and credibility of the multilateral system
concern. The Ministers stressed that this achievement and send a strong message to the private sector on
will be defended and built upon and called upon the their engagement and crucial role in achieving the
international community to focus on the comprehensive objectives of the agreement. Any unilateral measures
and faithful implementation of the Paris Agreement. and discriminatory practices that could result in
is appreciated by the world and 170 meet their NDCs announced in Paris. commitments. I propose that we have
million soil health cards are taking We are leading the pack. Sustainable three more years to fulfill pre-2020
care of the soil health, thus creating lifestyle is a part of the ethos of India. commitments till the global stock take
more carbon sinks. takes places for bridging emission
It is time for reflection and
Internationally, we launched assessment as we near the end of Pre- gaps.
the Coalition for Disaster Resilient 2020 period. It is time to look in the I draw your attention to very
Infrastructure which is a partnership to mirror. Has developed world delivered important issue of finance. Developed
support countries through knowledge on its promises? Unfortunately, world promised 1 trillion dollar in
exchange and provide technical annexed countries have not met their last 10 years, and not even 2 percent
support on developing disaster and Kyoto Protocol targets. Neither their has materialised. It has to be public
climate resilient infrastructure. NDCs reflect ambitions nor have they finance and there should be no double
Only 6 countries are on track to shown willingness to enhance their accounting. The world that benefited

market distortion and aggravate trust deficit amongst the preeminent international forum for addressing
Parties must be avoided. climate change. Ministers stressed that the scope of
5. Recalling that the Paris Agreement represents a delicate the periodic review is different from the 2-year pre-
political balance negotiated amongst 195 Parties with 2020 Work Programme and Global Stocktake, since
diverse levels of development and distinct national each of these processes have their specific technical
circumstances, the Ministers expressed grave concern arrangements. In the design of the periodic review,
regarding the current imbalance in the negotiations. In coordination with and requests for information to
particular, there has been a lack of progress on the pre- relevant bodies will to avoid duplication of work. The
2020 Agenda, adaptation and issues related to means of outcome of the 2-year pre-2020 Work Programme
implementation support, in the form of climate finance, could feed into the periodic review as an element, and
technology transfer and capacity building support, together the two processes should serve as a useful
which is essential to empower developing countries input to the Global Stocktake.
to contribute their best effort to the international 8. Ministers highlighted that BASIC countries are
community’s collective response to climate change. implementing ambitious climate actions based on
This imbalance needs to be immediately rectified, in their national circumstances and have achieved great
the interests of a successful conference outcome and progress, contributing significantly to global efforts
achieving the global goals in the Paris Agreement. in combating climate change. This is notwithstanding
6. Ministers reiterated that ambition of Parties is the insufficient and uneven progress of their domestic
measured first and foremost by the implementation of development and the multiple challenges all BASIC
its commitments. Commitments made by developed countries face, including in poverty eradication
countries in the pre-2020 period must be honoured, and achieving socio-economic development and
because the completion of the pre-2020 Agenda is of environment protection. In 2018, China reduced carbon
critical importance in building the basis for mutual trust dioxide emissions per unit of GDP by 45.8% from
and ambition in the post-2020 period. The pre-2020 2005 levels, as well as increased the share of non-
gaps with regard to mitigation, adaptation, means of fossil fuels in primary energy consumption to 14.3%.
implementation and reporting by developed countries South Africa has recently implemented a carbon tax
must be assessed and closed, without transferring any and announced a massive renewable energy program
burden to developing countries. The pre-2020 Agenda in its latest electricity plan. India has already achieved
will be concluded when the pre-2020 ambition gaps a 21% reduction in emission intensity of GDP in 2014
compared to 2005 levels, thereby achieving its pre-2020
have been closed and not at the end of this conference.
voluntary target. In 2015, Brazil had already achieved a
The ambitious implementation of developed countries’
58% emission reduction relative to the business as usual
commitments to provide support to developing
scenario set for its NAMAs, thereby overachieving its
countries is a precondition to any discussion on
target of 36%-39% reductions set for 2020. BASIC
progression of current commitments.
countries have already set forth climate policies and
7. Ministers underscored that the periodic review of the contributions reflecting our highest possible ambition,
long-term global goal under the Convention and of above and beyond our historical responsibilities. The
overall progress towards achieving it, is a mechanism time for action is now, and not next year or thereafter.
with clear mandates under the UNFCCC and an
important process that reaffirms the Convention as Source: Press Information Bureau
from carbon emissions that made a clean, green and healthy planet. This is the time for ownership
them developed, must repay. Market and non-market mechanisms and this is the time for responsible
play an important role. We expect that action. India has and will
Technology development and
guidelines for Article 6 will ensure continue to do its bit - expecting
transfer at affordable costs is crucial
transition of Clean Development commensurate multilateral action
for developing countries. If we are
Mechanism under Kyoto Protocol and with developed countries taking
dealing with a disaster, nobody
provide the incentives and positive the lead.
should profit from it. So, my proposal
signals to private sector, which had Let me end by quoting Thoreau,
is to have more joint research and
invested in it. We also urge support for “What is the use of a house, if you
collaboration, grant finance made
the vulnerable communities worldwide haven’t got a tolerable planet to put
available for meeting the targets.
with a strong Warsaw International it on?” 
COP 25 is an important step Mechanism for Loss and Damage with
in our collective journey towards provision for financial support. (Source: Press Information Bureau)

YE-1356/2019

special article
Kayakalp: Transforming Public Health Facilities

Preeti Sudan
Kayakalp initiative of the Ministry of Health & Family Welfare began in 2015 with the aim
of improving infrastructure upkeep, hygiene and sanitation, and infection control practices in
Central Government institutions and public health facilities in all States and UTs.
Mahatma Gandhi and Sanitation

T he Father of the Nation, Mahatma
Gandhi was concerned for public
and private sanitation which was also a
on his 145th birth anniversary. This
mission aimed to eradicate open
defecation by 2 October, 2019, the
This October, as we celebrated
the 150th birth anniversary of Gandhiji
and the third anniversary of Swachh
part of his Satyagraha campaign since 150th birth anniversary of Mahatma Bharat Abhiyan, the Prime Minister
the days he spent in South Africa. For Gandhi, by constructing 9 crore drew on Gandhiji’s views on sanitation
Gandhiji, the drive for cleanliness toilets in rural India at a projected to emphasise the fact that Mahatma
in society was an integral part of the cost of Rs. 1.96 lakh crore, spanning Gandhi’s dream of a Clean India can
process in bringing about a casteless 4,041 statutory cities and towns. The only be realised when 125 crore people
and free society. “Everyone is his own drive has been categorised in two sub- come together. This mission is directly
scavenger,” said Gandhiji, reiterating missions, Swachh Bharat Abhiyan linked with the economic health of
the fact of making cleanliness a (Urban) that operates under the the nation and its accomplishment
personal responsibility and the Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs will not only contribute to the GDP
key to removing untouchability. In and Swachh Bharat Abhiyan (Rural) growth of the country but will also
South Africa itself, Gandhiji took to that falls and operates under Ministry reduce the associated health costs.
scavenging and propagated the advice of Jal Shakti (erstwhile Ministry of Swachh Bharat Abhiyan has been an
among Indians to keep their lavatories Drinking Water and Sanitation). This internationally acclaimed, country-
clean and dry. Once he returned to mission became a national priority wide, visionary programme which
India, his focus on sanitation grew and the Prime Minister urged every aims to spread the message of
stronger. He firmly emphasised on Indian to join it and clean up the areas “Swachhata” across each household,
the need for education on hygiene and around them. village, and city of India.
sanitation among Indians and stated
“the scavenger’s work must be our
special function in India.” Gandhiji
laid down the need for having clean
water and air and the precise method
of dealing with open defecation.
“Swaraj ought to begin with our
streets,” he always said.
Gandiji has said, ‘Sanitation
is more important than
Independence’. Our Hon’ble Prime
Minister took inspiration from
Gandhiji’s ideas on hygiene and
started a campaign, ‘Swachh Bharat
Abhiyan’ or ‘Clean India Mission’
The author is Secretary, Ministry of Health & Family Welfare, Government of India. Email: secyhfw@nic.in

the number of “satisfied” patients as
reported through “Mera Aspataal”, an
ICT-based patient feedback system.
Kayakalp made a modest
beginning in its first year with
assessing only the District Hospitals
(DH). Subsequently, within a span
Cities are much better off in terms of infrastructure compared to the new small towns. of three years, all the Sub District
Hospitals, Community Health
Centres, and Primary Health Centres
(Rural and Urban) have also been
brought under its ambit. The number
of facilities participating in Kayakalp
has increased manifold. Starting with
participation of 700 DHs, in the last
financial year, approximately 26,000
health facilities have participated
in Kayakalp. Not only the number
To contribute to this national and every year the highest-scoring of facilities participating under the
movement and addressing the facilities at each level receive initiative has multiplied, the number
growing challenges of sanitation recognition though Kayakalp Awards of facilities scoring 70% (passing
and hygiene, the Ministry of that carry cash, apart from the citation. criteria) or more has also increased
Health & Family Welfare adopted a The scheme has resulted in significant manifold over the years. Apart
multi-pronged strategy and launched improvement in the level of the from the gargantuan participation
many initiatives for improving cleanliness, hygiene, and infection- of the primary and secondary-level
hygiene and sanitation holistically. control practices at public healthcare healthcare facilities, tertiary-level
Since 2015, it has particularly made facilities and has inculcated a culture healthcare facilities participate with
sanitation a centrepiece of its efforts of ongoing assessment and peer review the same vigour and enthusiasm. With
to improve the health and wellbeing of to promote hygiene, cleanliness, and participation of 10 facilities in year
our citizens. These initiatives address sanitation. For ensuring the objective 2015-16, the number has risen to 24
hygiene and sanitation within health assessment of “Swachhata” at the Central Government institutions in
facilities as well as in the community public health facilities, assessment the year 2018-19. Taking a step ahead,
through its own programmes and also is done under seven thematic areas. from FY 2019-20, Kayakalp has now
in partnership with other Ministries to Trainings are provided for not only been introduced to Ayushman Bharat-
address the issue holistically. undertaking the assessment but also for Health and Wellness Centres (AB-
Kayakalp initiative of the implementation of correct protocols HWCs). Also, in order to ensure that
Ministry of Health & Family and practices. Trained assessors “voice of patients, the health clients”
Welfare began in 2015 with the undertake the final assessment and is heard and their feedback is obtained
aim of improving infrastructure generate a score for short-listed health for each of the facilities visited by
upkeep, hygiene and sanitation, and facilities. Kayakalp has not only them, the data of ‘Mera Aspataal’ has
infection control practices in Central been able to facelift the public health been linked up to Kayakalp scoring
Government institutions and public facilities but has made significant for DHs.
health facilities in all the States and contribution towards moulding the In the current year, for holistic
UTs. Health facilities are assessed and behavioural practices of the public. and comprehensive improvement
scored on a number of parameters, This paradigm shift is well reflected in across the health sector, the Kayakalp
scheme has been extended to the
private sector health facilities.
The Ministry of Health & Family Welfare adopted a multi-pronged Quality Council of India (QCI)
through its constituent National
strategy and launched many initiatives for improving hygiene and
Accreditation Board for Hospitals
sanitation holistically. Since 2015, it has particularly made sanitation & Healthcare Providers (NABH)
a centrepiece of its efforts to improve the health and conducted Kayakalp assessment in
wellbeing of our citizens. the private hospitals. The assessments
were conducted as per the Kayakalp

guidelines established by MoHFW
encompassing parameters viz. Kayakalp made a modest beginning in its first year with assessing
hospital/facility upkeep, sanitation only the District Hospitals (DH). Subsequently, within a span of three
and hygiene, waste management, years, all the Sub District Hospitals, Community Health Centres, and
infection control, hospital support
services, and hygiene promotion.
Primary Health Centres (Rural and Urban) have also been brought
QCI conducted Kayakalp assessments under its ambit. The number of facilities participating in Kayakalp
in 653 private hospitals pan India has increased manifold.
within a duration of two months.
The hospitals were classified in three Under this initiative, resources have applaudable. As many as one crore
categories and out of the 653 facilities, been provided to CHCs located in household toilets have been built since
635 hospitals were found compliant Open Defecation Free (ODF) blocks its launch in October 2014, almost 6
with Kayakalp Guidelines. which are yet to meet the Kayakalp lakhs villages have been declared ODF
MoHFW has also used the criteria. In 2019, the country’s villages and 35 States/UTs too are now
platforms of Village Health Sanitation three best PHCs under Kayakalp ODF. The initiative has been able to
and Nutrition Committees (VHSNCs) from Andhra Pradesh, Gujarat, and create a ripple of improvement in public
under the National Health Mission and Karnataka were also felicitated by health sector and has been possible
Mahila Arogya Samitis (MAS) under Ministry of Jal Shakti. because of the collaborative efforts of
the National Urban Health Mission Efforts made under Kayakalp and all States. This being said, the overall
(NUHM) to promote sanitation in Swachh Bharat Abhiyan have been activities to maintain hygiene have
the vulnerable urban communities. well recognised by the WHO as well, now developed into a habit, sustaining
Many States have adopted innovative which mentions that nearly all (97%) a Kayakalp certification or an ODF
practices in making VHSNCs and DHs now have some or the other certification has led to people practicing
MAS effective. Accredited Social form of proper waste management.1 hygiene practices in their daily lives.
Health Activists (ASHAs) also Swachh Bharat Abhiyan along Not only have hygiene habits lead
work with VHSNCs to mobilise the with Kayakalp has given thrust to overall positive health outcomes
community for construction and use of to the country’s efforts to achieve (reduction in hospital-acquired
toilets. MAS are recently established Sustainable Development Goal 3 infection, reduction on antibiotic use
community groups of about 12 to (Good health and well-being) and etc.) the clean facilities have given a
20 women from primarily poor and Goal 6 (Clean water and sanitation) takeaway message to people to also
vulnerable populations in urban areas, respectively. As reported by the WHO, keep their home and surroundings
and they are working for mobilising it is expected that Swachh Bharat clean and that is an impact beyond the
communities on a range of issues, Abhiyan will result in averting more four walls and boundaries of a public
including sanitation. than 3,00,000 deaths (diarrhoea and health facility, indeed. The synergy and
Not only healthcare professionals protein-energy malnutrition) between momentum achieved under Swachh
or health department, MoHFW 2014 and October 2019. More than Bharat Mission shall continue to
has worked on inter-ministerial 14 million DALYs (Disability- expand and deliver a ‘Clean India, a
collaboration for hygiene and Adjusted Life Years) are estimated Healthy India’. 
sanitation. Leveraging the momentum to be avoided (diarrhoea and protein-
Endnotes
achieved under Kayakalp, MoHFW energy malnutrition) between 2014
and October 2019.2 1. WASH in HEALTH CARE FACILITIES,
and Ministry of Jal Shakti started Global Baseline Report 2019
an integrated scheme, the “Swachh The achievements under 2. http://www.searo.who.int/india/mediacentre/
Swasth Sarvatra” in December 2016. the Swachh Bharat Abhiyan are events/2018/swachh-bharat-report-web.pdf
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YE-1373/2019

Special Article
Sustainable Sanitation in the Cities

Durga Shanker Mishra
Focus on creating sustainable infrastructure, systems, and processes have been the hallmark of
the Government of India’s approach to urban sanitation in the last five years; it is to set a path
for institutionalising ‘swachhata’. An enabling environment would need to be created through
conducive policy support and reforms, leveraging technology for Mission implementation, robust
and real-time, data-driven monitoring supported by third-party verifications, capacity building of
municipal staff, and private sector participation to sustain the sanitation outcomes achieved and
the momentum generated.
Urban Sanitation in India deficiencies. There have been studies economic development, particularly
The Census (2011) revealed that linking cleanliness and hygiene with in developing countries. For example,
12.6% of households in Urban India reduction in gastrointestinal diseases an independent study conducted by
were practising Open Defecation (OD). (especially diarrhoea), psychological UNICEF in India2 in August 2017
While this was definitely lower than issues, and allergic conditions. As per a established that every Indian family
the extent of OD (68%) in rural India, UNICEF report (2011), almost 90% of will save about Rs. 50,000 annually if
it was nonetheless adversely impacting child deaths from diarrhoeal diseases open defecation is eliminated.
the health of urban citizens and the are directly linked to contaminated Journey to Sustainable Urban
overall environment. Moreover, with water, lack of sanitation, or inadequate Sanitation
only 38% coverage of septic tanks and hygiene. In addition to the impact
on the communicable diseases, On 2 October, 2019, Urban India
less than 33% coverage of sewerage became Open Defecation Free (ODF)-
network in the country, more than 70% better sanitation leads to reduction
in occurrences of low birth weight in a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi
of the discharge from the toilets, be it on his 150th birth anniversary. This
babies, spontaneous abortions, and
from household or from community/ historical feat achieved in only a short
occurrences of birth defects. Studies
public toilets, were being disposed off span of five years was remarkable,
have proved that improvement in
in an unsafe manner. A bigger cause given that no Government programme
sanitation and hygiene results in better
of worry was that 75% of fresh water till date had focused on the issue of
health outcomes.
resource used for drinking purpose was urban sanitation. In the intervening
contaminated with sewage contributing As per the India Health Report
five years, not only was the sanitation
to 60% of total pollution load (CPCB for Nutrition Security in India
objective of the Mission fulfilled, but
Report, 2009). (PHFI, 2015)1, the North Eastern
lakhs of citizens, especially women,
State of Mizoram has reported a 13
The Cost of Poor Sanitation have been provided dignity and safety
percentage-point decline in stunting
The Sustainable Development (below normal height for the age) and significant reduction in vector-
Goals (SDGs) place significant and five percentage points decline in borne diseases with consequent
emphasis on sanitation, cleanliness, and underweight children (underweight improvement in health parameters has
hygiene. There is significant evidence and short) between 2006 and 2014 been experienced, setting urban India
globally that better sanitation, hygiene, due to improved access to sanitation. on the path of holistic cleanliness.
and cleanliness help in effective control Improved sanitation has been shown The Ministry of Housing and
of various vector-borne diseases, to have significant impact not only Urban Affairs (MoHUA) has been
parasite infections, and nutritional on health, but also on social and implementing various Missions of the
The author is Secretary, Ministry of Housing and Urban Affairs (MoHUA). Email: secyurban@nic.in

Government of India, viz. Swachh
Bharat Mission (Urban), AMRUT,
35 States have become ODF in their 739 cities Smart Cities Mission, NERUDP - all
urban areas ODF+
of which address the issue of urban
4156 cities certified as ODF 292 cities sanitation. Over the last five years,
4320 cities declared themselves ODF ODF++ the urban sanitation initiatives of the
Government have achieved impressive
success (Figure 1), with more than
99% of its cities and 35 States/UTs
65.77 lakh having become ODF (under Swachh
IHHL constructed and under construction Bharat Mission-Urban).
(111% progress) MoHUA has also partnered with
Google to upload and make available
on Google maps all the public and
community toilets in the cities
(Figure 2) so that citizens and visitors
58,000
6.01 lakh PTs across
are able to easily locate these facilities
in their vicinity. Till date, 58,000
CT/PT seats built and under 2500 cities public toilets (including 500 from
construction (119% progress) on Google
NHAI) across 2,500 cities are visible
maps
on Google maps.
The year-wise ODF journey of
Figure 1: Progress in Urban Sanitation Urban India is depicted in Figure 3.
A Graded Approach to Scaling Up
and Sustaining Urban Sanitation
Since the beginning, the question
that was upper most in our minds was
how the ODF status of cities could be
sustained without slippage. Hence, we
launched the ODF protocol, a first-of-
its-kind initiative in the country where
an independent third party would
certify a city as ODF on satisfactorily
complying with the protocol
requirements (Box 1).
Moreover, in order to prevent
Figure 2: Public Toilets (SBM Toilets) on Google maps slippage of ODF status, the ODF
certificate was made valid only for 6
months; beyond which the city had to
be recertified as ODF by the third party.
However, we realised that it
was not enough to address all the
sanitation challenges that a city faces
merely by making them ODF. For
example, how would households with
space constraints, residents of slum
colonies, a visitor to a city, or any
floating population respond to nature’s
call? Where would they get access to
clean, functional, and usable toilets?
While community/public toilets were
Figure 3: Progress of ODF cities being constructed in urban areas, they

were plagued by poor operation &
maintenance challenges, rendering
them virtually unusable and non-
functional, forcing people to continue
with OD and open urination. The next
logical step therefore was to draw up a
standard protocol – the ODF+ protocol
– for maintaining acceptable levels
of cleanliness of community/public
toilets, so that they are functional, All Ward Councilors, Schools, Self-Help Groups need to provide declaration that they
have access to toilet. ULB should have constructed 90% of approved IHHL applications
usable, hygienic, and hence actually and constructed 90% of CT/PT as per target. All constructed toilet photographs need to
be uploaded on the SBM (U) Portal.
used by citizens. The ODF+ protocol
was therefore launched, again with the Self Declaration by City followed by Third Party Inspection:
In an event of failed assessment, the reassessment would be conducted after a cooling-off period
Cities once certified as ODF, can
apply for higher certification only
requirement for third party certification of one month from the date of failed assessment. If the ULB fails for the second time, the next
assessment would be conducted after six months from the date of second reassessment.
after six months, i.e., after the
expiry date of existing certificate.
as the ODF protocol (Box 2).
Box 1: Necessary Conditions for ODF
The next level of challenge faced
was while toilets were now functional
and being used, so that OD and open
urination were curbed, what was
happening with the faecal sludge being
discharged from these toilets? How
would it be managed safely so that
they do not pollute the environment?
The fact that most of the faecal sludge
Provided that all conditions of ODF protocol have been satisfied, a minimum of 10 % CT/PTs
was ending up as open discharge in should fall under aspirational category as per the CT/PT cleanliness matrix, and none of the
toilets should be categorised unusable. ULB should have constructed 100% of approved IHHL
fields and water bodies meant that it applications and constructed 100% of CT/PT as per target. All constructed toilet photographs
need to be uploaded on the SBM (U) Portal. Declarations from stakeholders would be required.
was posing even greater danger to the
environment compared to OD. In fact, Self Declaration by City followed by Third Party Inspection: Cities once certified as ODF+, can
In an event of failed assessment, the reassessment would be conducted after a cooling-off period
as per calculations, one truck of faecal of one month from the date of failed assessment. If the ULB fails for the second time, the next
apply for higher certification only
after six months, i.e., after the
assessment would be conducted after six months from the date of second reassessment.
sludge and septage carelessly dumped expiry date of existing certificate.
is equivalent to 3,000 people defecating Box 2: Necessary Conditions for ODF+

in the open! Hence, our next endeavour
at sustaining the sanitation impacts
was to launch the ODF++ protocols
to address the issue of complete
faecal sludge management, involving
scheduled emptying of septic tanks,
safe containment and transportation,
and finally, safe processing of the
faecal sludge and septage. In this,
we encouraged cities to adopt cost- Provided that all conditions of ODF and ODF+ protocol have been adhered, a minimum
of 25% CT/PTs should fall under aspirational category as per the CT/PT cleanliness
effective and decentralised options – matrix, and none of the toilets should be categorised as unusable. Declarations from
stakeholders would be required.
be it co-treatment in STPs, low cost
FSTPs, DRE, etc., rather than going Self Declaration by City followed by Third Party Inspection: Cities once certified as ODF++,
for more capital-intensive options such In an event of failed assessment, the reassessment would be conducted after a cooling-off period
of one month from the date of failed assessment. If the ULB fails for the second time, the next
can apply for higher certification
only after six months, i.e., after the
as sewer networks. (Box 3). assessment would be conducted after six months from the date of second reassessment. expiry date of existing certificate.
Box 3: Necessary Conditions for ODF++

The cities and States/UTs have
responded enthusiastically to these progress has been made in Faecal safely, the waste water (grey water and
protocols, and our journey towards Sludge management coverage with black water from household kitchens
sustainability has already begun on a 637 projects already completed in and toilets) were flowing into open
promising note. As on date, we have Sewerage and Septage Management. drains and polluting our water bodies.
739 cities already certified ODF+, and However, there was still some Given the water crisis that our nation
292 cities certified ODF++. Under distance left to traverse. While the is facing, this was an added burden
AMRUT Mission too, significant faecal sludge was now being managed on our water resources that we could

(Box 4). Figure 4 presents summary of
these protocols.
Given the capacity constraint of
ULBs and the multiple challenges
of sustainable sanitation, we
consciously took a graded approach to
sustainability, gradually capacitating
ULBs to address their sanitation-
related issues in an incremental
manner, so that the results would be
The city shall be eligible for Water Plus provided that all conditions of ODF++,
ODF+ and ODF protocol have been adhered sustainable in the long run.
Swachh Survekshan – A Tool for
Self Declaration by City followed by Third Party Inspection:
In an event of failed assessment, the reassessment would be conducted after a cooling-off period Mission Monitoring and Governance
of one month from the date of failed assessment. If the ULB fails for the second time, the next
assessment would be conducted after six months from the date of second reassessment. The Swachh Survekshan (SS) is
Box 4: Necessary Conditions for Water Plus an innovative survey conducted by
MoHUA under the Swachh Bharat
Mission-Urban, to rank cities on
various sanitation and cleanliness
parameters (Figure 5).
The survey has been successful in
enthusing cities with a spirit of healthy
competition towards the concept of
‘swachhata’. In its first round in 2016,
the SS was conducted among 73
cities with population of 10 lakh and
above, and State/UT capitals of India.
In 2017, the survey was conducted
among 434 cities. Swachh Survekshan
2018 covered 4,203 ULBs: Indore
was adjudged the cleanest city in
the country. This survey, the first
Figure 4: Sanitation Protocols ever Pan-India Sanitation Survey
impacting around 40 crore people,
was probably the largest such survey
in the world. Swachh Survekshan
2019 covered 4,237 cities. Indore
once again emerged as the cleanest
city in the country. The SS 2019 was
unique as the service level assessment
was completely online and paperless.
In fact, in the area of urban sanitation,
the issue of safe Faecal Sludge
Management has received huge
impetus and traction, thanks to the
Survekshan, given that a major
scoring criterion is achievement of
ODF++ certification by a city.
For Swachh Survekshan 2020,
Figure 5: Swachh Survekshan – A Mission Monitoring and Governance Tool MoHUA has introduced the concept of
‘continuous Survekshan’ to ensure that
hardly afford. Hence, in order to the Water Plus protocol to ensure that the Mission outcomes are sustained
address this last-mile challenge of no untreated waste water is released through a system of continuous
sustainability, we have now introduced into the environment or water bodies monitoring and verification.

Addressing the Challenge of Manual of public toilets, Swachhata to ensure that the toilets do not fall
Scavenging and Hazardous Entry app as a Citizens’ grievance into disuse. Similarly, the issues of
Various laws and regulatory redressal system on all aspects of safe containment, transportation
reforms have been enacted by the sanitation); and disposal of faecal sludge and
Government to ensure that the practice yy Robust online MIS and portal for septage from toilets, as also the grey
of manual scavenging is eliminated real time data capture; and black water from households
comprehensively. Though the practice and establishments need to be
yy Swachh Manch for large scale strengthened further if the health
of manual entry into sewers and citizen engagement;
septic tanks is allowed only under impacts of holistic sanitation are to
very special circumstances and only yy Behaviour change initiatives be realised. This is especially true
with proper protective equipment and (e.g., engagement of celebrities as for smaller cities without sewer
safety gear, this practice still continues ambassadors, mass media audio/ networks, and for 60% households in
widely, often without proper safety video campaigns, swachhata the country that are dependent on on-
precautions or safety gear being used, selfie, on-ground citizen site sanitation facilities such as septic
because of lack of enforcement and activation, etc.); and tanks, which are more often than not
inadequate infrastructure, leading constructed without soak pits, and
yy Continuous capacity building of
to fatal accidents. MoHUA has been where de-sludging trucks routinely
ULBs through dissemination of
constantly endeavouring to ensure empty the collected, untreated faecal
technical advisories, providing
that hazardous cleaning of sewers and sludge into open fields and water
need-based handholding support,
septic tanks is completely eliminated, bodies. This implies that the health
classroom- and field visit-based
and even when manual entry is and other beneficial impacts of holistic
workshops, etc.
unavoidable, to ensure that it be done sanitation are not likely to be achieved
The Way Forward in the cities, despite being ODF.
only with proper safety precautions.
Such incidents of fatal accidents and Urban India is now poised at a The achievements in urban
deaths suffered by sanitary workers crucial juncture. While the sanitation sanitation are still tenuous and likely
while cleaning sewers and septic situation in cities and towns has to slip back if not sustained for the
tanks continue to plague our social definitely improved, there is still a long term. At the same time, with
consciousness. In this context, lot that remains to be done, so that all the increased focus on ‘swachhata’,
MoHUA has further strengthened its cities become truly smart and liveable. people’s aspirations have gone up:
drive towards sustainable sanitation For example, while sufficient toilets citizens are now demanding higher
by mandating the setting up of (both for individual households and quality of service and higher levels of
Emergency Response Sanitation community/public toilets) have been ‘swachhata’. Hence, the gains made
Unit (ERSU) in major cities, constructed and people have started till date need to be sustained and
which represents an innovative using them instead of going out for carried forward, by channelising the
approach to institutionalising safety defecation, the issue of maintenance momentum created around the concept
practices and mitigating measures of the community/public toilets of ‘swachhata’.
to counter manual scavenging and needs to be strengthened further
hazardous cleaning practices, while The various Missions under
systematising human entry into MOHUA have demonstrated a
sewer/septic tanks in a professional, MoHUA has partnered with sustainable model of development
well-trained, motivated, and in urban sanitation. Going forward,
Google to upload and make the focus will be on institutionalising
appropriately equipped manner.
available on Google maps all the concept of swachhata, so that the
Other Key Enablers: Leveraging the public and community holistic impacts from safe sanitation
Technology, Intensive Behaviour are achieved in line with our SDG
toilets in the cities so that
Change & Capacity Building of commitments.
ULBs citizens and visitors are
able to easily locate these In this backdrop, the next steps
In addition, MoHUA’s initiatives in urban sanitation would be on
in urban sanitation have been facilities in their vicinity. Till
sustaining the sanitation outcomes
complemented significantly through a date, 58,000 public toilets
achieved and the momentum generated
variety of enablers, viz. (including 500 from NHAI) and taking Urban India to the next level
yy Leveraging technology and across 2,500 cities are visible of ‘swachhata’. Also, the ecosystem
‘smart’ solutions to widen citizen on Google maps. around sanitation will have to be
outreach (e.g. Google mapping strengthened further to cement the

SWACHHATA SE SAMPANNATA
* Facilities for safe containment and disposal of all faecal
Complete Faecal Sludge sludge (creating all cities ODF++)
Management
* Adequate numbers of desludging vehicles
SUSTAINABLE * Protective gear, mechanical equipment for sewer/ septic
SANITATION Preventing hazardous / tank cleaning
manual entry into sewers & *
Setting up of Emergency Response Sanitation Units
septic tanks (ERSU) and Responsible Sanitation Authority (RSA) in
all major cities
WASTE WATER Treatment and reuse of waste Treatment of all waste water before discharging into water
TREATMENT water in cities bodies and their maximum possible reuse
Figure 6: Way Forward for Sanitation
sustainability of outcomes. Hence, we leveraging technology for Mission Conclusion
will now need to focus on the following implementation, robust and real- Today, the concepts of cleanliness
areas in the coming months and years time, data-driven monitoring and swachhata have come to embody
(Figure 6): supported by third-party the spirit of empowerment and quality
yy Sustainable Sanitation (creating verifications, capacity building of of life. Progress in urban sanitation has
all cities ODF++ with complete municipal staff, and private sector already started impacting our lives and
FSSM solutions) and participation. We will need to think the larger environment positively. Our
out-of-the-box and come up with continued efforts in a sustained manner
yy Waste water treatment (as per
even more innovative and ‘smart’ would lead to a ‘Swachh, Swasth,
Water+ protocol of MoHUA).
approaches such as incentivising Samarth, and Sashakt’ New India. 
All of the above will need to be cities through result-based funding,
planned and implemented under the Endnotes
strengthening digital enablement of
overarching principle of ‘Swachhata se Mission governance, and setting up 1. PHFI. (2015). India Health Report-
Sampannata.’ Nutrition 2015. PHFI. Accessed from http://
of a National Institute of Excellence www.transformnutrition.org/wp-content/
Additionally, an enabling to address all issues in Solid and uploads/sites/3/2015/12/INDIA-HEALTH-
environment would need to Liquid Waste Management, on REPORT-NUTRITION_2015_for-Web.pdf
be created through conducive similar lines as other international 2. https://mdws.gov.in/sites/default/files/
policy support and reforms, and national institutes. UNICEF_Economic_impact_study.pdf
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YE-1361/2019

focus
Water Management: Building a Resilient Nation

UNICEF WASH Team
While the country has been declared to be free from the practice of open defecation, it is pertinent
to continue looking at the necessity for faecal sludge and septage management, without which the
quality and safety of drinking water may be affected negatively. It is important that Governments at
all levels work together with local leaders and representatives who rise to become champions of the
cause, so that resources can be synergised to gain the maximal outputs.
Life in this world is diverse and unique but what we all have in common is that we live and breathe on the same world,
together. Our collective actions therefore impact our shared environment, which has shown to contribute towards negative
outcomes such as increasing frequencies of climate change-related weather patterns and lower quality of environmental
health. This in turn has related socio-economic costs to human society. According to a UKAID assessment in 2017, India
had lost an average of USD 170 billion annually over the ten-year period due to weather and other environment-related
causes.
In large part due to drastic environmental shifts, the variability in rainfall in certain regions of India has contributed to
more and more drought-prone conditions. At present, approximately one-third of the country is either drought prone or
under desert areas.1 This has increased the vulnerability of communities dependent on agriculture and demands on the
local water sources leading to resource mismanagement and geological distress. Subsequently, water is contaminated
from over-exploitation, and the situation is compounded when communities lack necessary knowledge, infrastructure, and
services to maintain environmental health standards related to water safety planning.
UNICEF is a key technical partner to the Government of India on water and sanitation programming and is dedicated to
supporting the nation’s progress towards Sustainable Development Goal 6 – universal access to safely managed water
and sanitation by 2030. It is working with everyone from the Government to local communities to roll-out initiatives and
frameworks that would tackle various challenges in the spectrum of the stresses on our water sources.
Environment and Community: Environment and Intersectionality:

Environment and Governance: The
How Maharashtra is investing in Impact of Water and
Story of Fluorosis Mitigation in
women’s leadership for sustainable Sanitation Policies on
Rajasthan
development in water-stressed areas Environmental Health in India

Environment and Community: How Maharashtra is investing in women’s
leadership for sustainable development in water-stressed areas
M aharashtra has declared drought in three of the past
five years. Almost 70% of the State’s geographical
area lies in semi-arid region, rendering it vulnerable to
institutions for shared causes. It ultimately provided
an enabling environment for marginalised women to
learn coping strategies for the multitude of increasing
water scarcity; this is exacerbated by further drought.2 uncertainties.
These impacted areas therefore experience wide year-to- How W-SHARP Worked?
year fluctuations in agricultural production and incomes
and have a relatively high incidence of poverty, leading Fifty villages from each of the two blocks were
to them being left behind and experience poor agricultural selected based on the communities’ existing vulnerabilities
yield. and involvement of women in local governance. To ensure
inclusivity, 100 most vulnerable households from each
UNICEF Maharashtra, with the support of the target villages were involved. This included homes of
State’s Disaster Management, Relief and Rehabilitation marginal farmers and households headed by women and
Department in 2015-16, carried out a rapid assessment landless labourers. Attention was also given to families
to measure the impact of current drought and drought- with adolescent girls or children below five years of age, to
like situations and the related consequences and coping promote the passing of livelihood and nutritional benefits
mechanisms for communities, particularly children and from heads of households to their children. Overall, 10,000
women, in the Marathwada region. It was found that households were included in the project.
almost half of the villages had only one source of water for
drinking and other domestic purposes, 27% of the farmers The project integrated the question of sustainability
did not have any water management technique, and that and gender empowerment in all its various approaches.
during lean periods of the year, 84% of the families faced Women community leaders, ‘Arogya Sakhis’ (health
irrigation challenges. Women were disproportionately friends), were selected and trained by UNICEF and
affected by water scarcity. This has tripled the burden of the implementation partner to promote hygiene, water
women and girls in terms of household tasks and they security, and climate-resilient agricultural practices. This
travel further to fetch water, fuel, fodder, and find casual task force of community leaders was established in each
work. This in turn worsens their sanitation, hygiene, and village and was responsible for actively engaging with
nutritional outcomes – all of which come with alarming residents to raise awareness and knowledge of pertinent
multi-generational implications. issues. Through the cascade training model, the 100 Sakhis
trained other women and by the end of the project, over
Overall, the lack of community-level management 500 women were collaborating with school and anganwadi
posed challenges for curbing exploitation and workers as well as village-level leaders to promote water
maladministration. Therefore, UNICEF along with governance and nutrition-sensitive farming.
implementation partners worked with the Government of
Maharashtra to implement a pilot addressing resilience One key outcome of this project was to encourage
within the affected communities against these very issues. community participation in local governance and foster
partnership with relevant government and civil society
‘Women-led Water, Sanitation, Hygiene and institutions This allowed W-SHARP to provide spaces
Resilient Practices Project’ or W-SHARP was for peer learning exchanges and dialogue fora. Trainings
implemented in 2018 to test the effectiveness of have been organised for community leaders to ensure
risk-informed planning driven by local contexts and
communities such as those of Marathwada, especially
during lean periods, March to June, when water availability
is at an all-time low.
The pilot sought to enhance water, livelihood, and
food security across 100 villages encompassing 10,000
families in two drought-prone blocks of Maharashtra. To
build climate resilient practices within the most vulnerable
groups, W-SHARP targeted women’s and vulnerable
families’ participation as a core aspect of the project. The
project took an innovative approach by positioning women
as key change agents who charged forward in mobilising
their communities, local bodies, and government

that community uniformity and last-mile connectivity is Community Snapshot : In one village, community
achieved through community tracking and monitoring volunteers visited approximately 80 families to
systems of community behaviour changes through a 7-star accumulate Rs. 2,000 and create a shared borewell. Four
tool and increased convergence with service providers containers of drinking water were allocated per family,
such as ASHAs and anganwadi workers. The effectiveness with minimal cost per litre. Drinking water was stored
of these efforts increased awareness and implementation of separately from that for domestic needs; communities
water conservation practices and sustainable management. were oriented to obtain the latter from nearby surface
Key Interventions water sources. Three hundred women participated in
Household-level Engagement: The Arogya digging up 120,000 sq m of trenches, which connected
Sakhis mobilised women’s groups in their villages to village areas to farms to encourage water storage and
discuss information and practices relevant to good water groundwater recharge.
management practices at the household level. Women Convergent Governance: A unique aspect of this
learned about and practiced reusing waste water, water project was the use of National flagship programmes to
budgeting, adopting groundwater management via soak empower the communities. Construction of soak pits,
pits, and other water-saving techniques. toilets and adoption of new agricultural innovations were
done through convergent funds. Swachh Bharat Mission-
Water budgeting involves understanding a household’s
Gramin (SBM-G), Mahatma Gandhi National Rural
overall water requirement based on the number of family
Employment Guarantee Act and ATMA (Agricultural
members, major areas of consumption, and identifying
Technology and Management Agency) funds jointly
areas for potential reuse for water. It is a simple yet
provided access to Rs. 6,35,00,000.
effective tool that allows households to concretely
appreciate utilisation of their resources. 100 Resilient Villages 100 Steps towards Sustainability
Water budgeting was practised by all targeted households; W-SHARP was designed in alignment with the
Swachh Bharat Mission and Jal Shakti Abhiyan, both of
 All public water sources were included in the
which support protecting environmental resources through
sanitation surveillance plans;
community-led practices. The Government will continue
 1,392 soak pits were constructed in total across all to observe the progress in these villages to assess the
targeted villages to capture grey water for reuse; and potential for scale-up to the rest of the region. The future
 28 group handwashing stations were set up in of this programme will continue to focus on addressing the
various schools across the two blocks. correlation between water, energy, land, and food and seek
opportunities to integrate these lessons into the newer Jal
Community-level Engagement: Communities were Jeevan Mission and Integrated Watershed Management
engaged in discussions on climate-resilient practices and initiative. These efforts will localise the ambitions of SDG
options for livelihoods. This includes adaptive sustainable 6 and sustain the gain of sanitation access by completing
practices; conscious shift to bio fertilisers; improving the ecological loop.
soil health, biodiversity conservation, and water efficient
technologies etc. W-SHARP aimed to sustain “A gender responsive and
resilient community with food and water security in drought
 Community leaders and 2000 women farmers were prone areas”. Rightfully so, its biggest achievement was
trained on resilient practices; the emergence of women leaders. Many of the accepted
 1735 women farmers are presently practising mixed interventions have been introduced through women as
crop farming; the change makers – women who are at the forefront of
 124 vermicompost beds were installed; facing climate variability in their daily lives – who tackled
challenges head-on and redesigned what sustainable
 2650 families cultivating less water-intensive fodder practices means to their communities. W-SHARP has
and practice water allocation for livestock; proven that a small step has been taken towards this goal,
 1470 families cultivated kitchen garden for themselves and these steps taken together lead to a healthier, stronger,
to encourage nutrition-rich diets. and more resilient community.
The authors are Yusuf Kabir, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene (WASH) Specialists and DRR Focal Point with UNICEF
India; Prema Gopalan, Executive Director, Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Pune; Omkar Khare, State DRR Consultant,
UNICEF Mumbai; Naseem Sheikh & Upmanyu Patil, Directors, Program Swayam Shikshan Prayog, Pune;
Kritika Karki, RedR India, Pune; & Andrew Williamson, UNV, DRR Section, UNICEF Delhi. Communication Email:
smanchikanti@unicef.org

Environment and Governance:
The Story of Fluorosis Mitigation in Rajasthan
T he State of Rajasthan makes for a classic case on

the socio-cultural and environmental implications of
sourcing safe drinking water in a semi-arid and water scarce
in children. Dental, skeletal, and non-skeletal fluorosis,
each with rising severity in succession, are irreversible
diseases that severely affect joint movements, cause
region. The State’s population is heavily dependent on incredible pain, and often lead to the afflicted living in
groundwater for its agricultural and drinking requirements vegetative states. Achieving SDG 6 targets would require
in large part due to the absence of perennial rivers, addressing environmental health fallout such as this to be
inadequate surface sources, and arid climatic conditions. In prioritised by the Government and solved urgently.
addition, traditional sources such as stepwells were closed Despite different mitigation initiatives with huge
for stopping the spread of guinea worms and thereby financial implications, people in affected areas are still
limiting access of water. In remote areas, this translated at risk, in part because the efforts were usually limited
to digging through ground for groundwater sources for to defluoridation of water without any consideration for
creating numerous tube wells and handpumps, especially related aspects. On the contrary, mitigation approaches
in the most remote areas of the State. need to start with better understanding of health impacts of
Thus, over-exploitation of the groundwater, which excessive fluoride intake.
has increased due to recent climatic changes, along with The current government initiative is taking past
recurrent droughts have contributed to the leaching of lessons into account and implementing a comprehensive
rocks with fluoride compounds, thereby releasing the multi-sectoral approach through the Integrated Fluorosis
volatile element into the water sources, making it unsafe for Mitigation (IFM) effort, introduced initially by National
drinking. This has over time posed a dual challenge for the Environmental Engineering Research Institute (NEERI)
management of water resources: maintaining availability and UNICEF in Madhya Pradesh in 2007 and later replicated
and quality of drinking water. As of December 2019, of a in few other districts and States including Rajasthan.
total 7,752 fluoride-affected habitations across the country, Even though IFM approach was conceived and piloted in
3,748 of them (50%) are from Rajasthan.3 Drinking water Dhar and Jhabua district of MP with respectable success
with fluoride levels above WHO-prescribed limit of 1.5 in reversing fluorosis rates in children, it lacked crucial
ppm for prolonged period can lead to fluorosis, especially Government buy-in at the time. Subsequent replication

in Telangana and Rajasthan however continued to to the body may be much more from the sources other than
successfully demonstrate the positive impact of convergent drinking water. Improvement in drinking water supply in
governance models owned by State departments, and thus the endemic village of Rajasthan has decreased the burden
have positioned themselves as strong advocacy tools for of fluorosis, but low level of awareness and prevailing
similar approaches elsewhere and for other sectoral issues. dietary and behavioural practices still expose them to
History of Mitigation Efforts risk of high fluoride intake. This needs to be studied for
strategising efforts to combat the environmental fury of
Since excess fluoride found in drinking water in 2001, fluorosis holistically. There are critical gaps about the
there has been slew of mitigation measures by Public Health accountability of dealing with fluorosis, convergence,
Engineering Department (PHED), and with support from coordination, empathy, and will of the duty bearers to help
UNICEF, culminating in the launch of ‘Rajasthan Integrated the fluorosis-affected people getting rid of the menace.
Fluorosis Management Programme (RIFMP)’ in 2004. In
RIFMP phases I and II, domestic de-ﬂuoridation units The Present and Way Forward
(DDFUs) based on adsorption technology were distributed Fluorosis cannot be mitigated by only providing
through NGOs, who were supposed to educate people and fluoride-free water but must be integrated with health
train them in using the DDFUs. Despite high resource and nutrition-sensitive initiatives for holistic mitigation
investment, both phases could not bring the desired success of menace of fluorosis. Hence all stakeholders need a
except for increased awareness in almost all the rural areas convergent platform for eradicating fluorosis. Departments,
of Rajasthan. Based on lessons garnered from phases I and in their plan, should focus on community participation and
II, the Government launched phase III wherein the hand climate resilient water safety and security as part of this
pump and tube well attached to large size DFUs have been effort.
installed through private agencies, that would operate and In Rajasthan, UNICEF supported the Government
maintain the units for 10 years. Intensive complementary of Rajasthan in demonstration of Integrated Fluorosis
awareness campaigns to educate populations in the dangers Mitigation Approach pilot in Dungarpur in 2018, which
of ingesting high fluoride levels are also to be conducted. is a people-centric district platform, led by District
Under the Government-supported National Rural Drinking Magistrate to have focus on holistic fluorosis mitigation
Water Programme (NRDWP) programme, rainwater while leveraging programme funds across districts to
harvesting and ground water recharge initiatives were also support the planned activities. This model puts the District
taken up in a big way to provide alternative drinking water Magistrate in the leadership position and leverages the
sources. Using rainwater for drinking however could not existing influence and responsibilities built into the
gain popularity in most of the districts, due to contrary Magistrate’s position to prioritize fluorosis efforts within
socio-cultural preferences among the people. In its vision, all relevant departments. On successful demonstration of
the Government of Rajasthan aims to cover the entire state the new model of integrated Fluorosis Mitigation Approach
through surface water, but the treatment of ground water is in Dungarpur district, which focuses on converging
likely to continue as an interim measure till the time piped the efforts of multiple state and district departments to
water supply systems have been adequately established, reduce fluorosis and realising positive outcomes through
aiming to achieve SDG 6 on ensuring access to safely it, the Government of Rajasthan has agreed to scale up
managed water to the State’s population. the new approach to RIFM in all affected districts, in a
Continued Challenges phased manner, within a timeframe of four years. The
The problem of fluorosis in Rajasthan has been quite approach has, along with water, health, and nutrition-
complex and continues to affect more and more people sensitive initiatives, high possibility of achieving reversal
with time. The shifting of people from their earlier wisdom of fluorosis, especially in (0-12) age group children.
of traditional water sources to piped water supply although To protect environment, identification and promotion
takes care of water security, the question remains for source of reuse of water and recharging of aquifers and sources
reliability, inability to monitor large-scale networks, and for creating a balance between discharge and recharge
identification of safe reliable sources. Not being able to of water are needed. It will also help in maintaining
provide sustainable operation and maintenance of treatment the quality of water in the source. The recent Jal Shakti
plants through PRIs makes it even tougher. The present Abhiyan is a great initiative by the Government, which
practice of indiscriminate supply of defluoridated water to had shown good intent by converging all the line
the community living in an endemic area may not relieve departments on a common platform of the integrated
those who are afflicted with fluorosis, as the fluoride entry approach in water management.
The authors are Nanak Santdasani, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist at UNICEF, Jaipur and Anirudh Khanna,
Young Professional, Tata Institute of Social Sciences. Communication Email: smanchikanti@unicef.org

Environment and Intersectionality: Impact of Water and
Sanitation Policies on Environmental Health in India
W hile safe drinking water as part of environmental
health has long been realised as critical to healthy
life, improved sanitation facility in India has, of late, been
The type of toilets constructed in the entire sanitation
programming in India is mainly of three categories: single
leach pit, twin leach pit, and septic tanks. Single pits
recognised as essential for provisioning safe drinking need retrofitting-- either converting it into twin pits with
water. This is because people get exposed to faecal consideration of space, so that the human excreta over the
transmitted infections (FTI) through exposure to faecal time degrade completely and turn to solid pathogen-free
matter in their environments, which can result from open manure for agricultural use or making provisions to empty
defecation and poorly constructed toilets. Approximately the pit periodically.
88% of diarrheal deaths in children can be attributed to Similarly, the effluent from septic tank, under no
unsafe water supply, inadequate sanitation, and hygiene circumstances, should be allowed into an open channel
behaviour.4 In 2017, WHO estimated that 525,000 children drain or body of water without treatment. Experience from
under five died due to diarrheal disease, globally, out of the field says that majority of septic tank designs are faulty
which 117,000 children under five died in India.5 Therefore, which are used as holding tanks of sewage–the liquid waste
environmental health and resilience are only as good as the of household and community including human excreta.
investment in sustainable and effective sanitation and safe Some septic tanks are found to be connected to open
water provisions. drains, agricultural fields, country-yard, and rivers. These
The systems for solid and liquid waste management, contaminate water, soil, and some agricultural products
including faecal sludge management and drainage, are which is detrimental to health. As per the Indian standard
important for better prevention of faecal contamination in code for installation of septic tank, the unsatisfactory
the environment.6 This is in line with SDG 6, for which design, construction, and maintenance of septic tanks
attaining safely managed water and sanitation requires constitute health hazard.
policies that invest more on frameworks seeking to go It is therefore considered essential to lay down
beyond simply providing toilets and water supply; they minimum standards for guidance of concerned authorities.8
must encourage community and individual ownership over At this junction of ODF plus initiatives, both single
the results to ensure positive, long-term outcomes. leach pit toilets and septic tanks would be challenging
Policies on Water Supply and Sanitation as far as faecal sludge and septage management (FSSM)
2019 has been a significant year for the rural water is concerned. Programmes with special focus on toilet
supply and sanitation movement. The launch of the retrofitting and more of managing the substructure of
2019-29 National Rural Sanitation Strategy post Swachh toilet units both at household and community level are
Bharat Mission’s 2 October deadline, Jal Jeevan Mission, needed. Proper septic tanks offer a preliminary treatment
and the Revised Uniform Water Quality Monitoring of sewage prior to final disposal which restricts damaging
Protocol are not stand-alone policy decisions but parts the environment by protecting water sources and soil.
of a well-thought out holistic and integrated strategy to Formation of Jal Jeevan Mission (JJM) and
provide universal access and promote inclusion of last- Provisioning Pipe Water Supply (PWS) to all
mile populations. If these policies can be implemented Households: Ministry of Jal Shakti issued Jal Jeevan
convergently while incorporating the recommendations Guidance Note in March 2019, which informs that only
below, they have great potential for positively impacting
resource management practices and the status of
environment health.
Investing in Retrofitting and Waste Management:
Since the launch of SBM-G in 2014, over 10 crore toilets
have been built in rural areas; over 5.9 lakh villages, 699
districts, and 35 States and Union Territories have declared
themselves ODF.7 The 10 Year Rural Sanitation Strategy
(2019-29) aims to achieve the vision of ODF-Plus, which
focuses on sustaining behaviour change achieved under
SBM-G, universal usage of sanitation facilities, inclusion
of new households, as well as effective solid and liquid
waste disposal.

18.33% (3.27 crore) of rural households in the country it is also important to look at the possible challenges posed
are connected through piped water supply (PWS). The by intermittent water supply and the interaction between
present estimate being discussed is around 14.60 crore pipes and their external surroundings due to flux in water
rural households that will need functional household tap pressure.
connection (FHTC) at the rate of 55 litres per capita per Overall, to ensure the success of Jal Jeevan Mission or
day (lpcd) through JJM by 2024. any other programmes catering to rural communities, it is
This ambitious target setting of 100 per cent crucial to involve gram panchayats and village water and
coverage of functional household tap connections sanitation committees in the decision-making processes.
(FHTC) from the current 18% demands the rise of This will ensure ownership over and sustainability of
an adequate and proportional pool of skilled human any achievements made over the coming years, and
resources, institutional strengthening, strategic planning, once communities can tangibly appreciate the value
consistent monitoring including on-site field verification, of a functioning system, they would be more willing to
supportive supervision, and participation of community invest in operations and maintenance efforts that will be
members at local level. Some of the key supplementary necessary down the line. Therefore, it is important that
activities like completion and retrofitting of existing Governments at all levels work together with local leaders
PWS schemes to provide FHTC; to raise the service level and representatives who rise to become champions of
from 40 lpcd to 55 lpcd; augmentation of existing source; the cause, so that resources can be synergised to gain the
reliable drinking water source development; grey water maximal outputs. 
management; and integrated water resource management
would be as vital as the prime work for the implementing Endnotes
agencies. 1. Central Ground Water Board (2018). Central Groundwater
Board Yearbook 2017-2018. Ministry of Water Resources, River
Standardising Water Quality Testing and Development and Ganga Rejuvenation. Link: http://cgwb.gov.in/
Monitoring: Water quality testing is a tool that is Ground-Water/Groundwater%20Year%20Book%202017-18.pdf
universally used to identify safe drinking water, whether 2. Mallapur et. al. (2019). Repeated Floods, Drought Affect
at source, within a piped distribution system, or at point of Maharashtra, But Are Not ‘Election Issue’: Experts. IndiaSpend.
Link: https://www.indiaspend.com/repeated-floods-drought-
use by consumers. As per WHO, the most effective means affect-maharashtra-but-they-are-not-an-election-issue-experts/
of consistently ensuring the safety of a drinking-water 3. Jal Jeevan Mission (2019). National Rural Drinking Water
supply is using a comprehensive risk assessment and risk Programme Integrated Monitoring Information System (IMIS).
management approach that encompasses all steps in water Ministry of Jal Shakti. Link: https://ejalshakti.gov.in/IMISReports/
supply from catchment to consumer.9 Considering the NRDWP_MIS_NationalRuralDrinkingWaterProgramme.html
importance of ensuring safe drinking water, the erstwhile 4. Liu L, Johnson HL, Cousens S, Perin J, Scott S, Lawn JE, Rudan
I, Campbell H, Cibulskis R, Li M, Mathers C, Black RE. (2012)
Ministry of Drinking Water and Sanitation published the Child Health Epidemiology Reference Group of WHO and
revised Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring UNICEF. Global, regional, and national causes of child mortality:
Protocol in March 2019. The protocol is suggestive in an updated systematic analysis for 2010 with time trends since
nature and plays an advisory role in guiding and supporting 2000. Lancet.
the States and Union Territories in water quality testing, 5. World Health Organisation (WHO). (2018). Diarrhoea Disease.
Link: http://www.who.int/en/news-room/fact-sheets/detail/
monitoring, and surveillance activities effectively.10 The diarrhoeal-disease
protocols speaks in details on the monitoring of water
6. UNICEF. (2019). Report on Environmental Impact of SBM on
quality using field test kit at the gram panchayat level Water, Sanitation and Food. UNICEF. Link: https://jalshakti-
and confirmation test at water testing laboratories and ddws.gov.in/sites/default/files/ODF_Comprehensive_Report_
water quality surveillance, to detect the risk through an Rev5.pdf
investigative activity for identifying and evaluating the 7. Department of Drinking Water and Sanitation, Ministry of
factors that can pose risk to health directly or through Jal Shakti. (2019). From ODF to ODF Plus: National Rural
Sanitation Strategy 2019-2029. GoI. Link: https://jalshakti-ddws.
undesirable environmental conditions. gov.in/sites/default/files/Rural_Sanitation_Strategy_Report.pdf
Conclusion 8. IS 2470 (Part 1) (1985) Indian standard code for installation of
septic tank, part I, Design Criteria and Construction, (second
While the country has been declared to be free from revision). Bureau of Indian Standard, New Delhi, Jan 1986. Pp. 4.
the practice of open defecation, it is pertinent to continue 9. Guidelines for Drinking-Water Quality, Fourth Edition, published
looking at the necessity for faecal sludge and septage by the World Health Organization (2011) WHO.
management, without which the quality and safety of 10. Uniform Drinking Water Quality Monitoring Protocol, Ministry of
drinking water may be affected negatively. Concurrently, Drinking Water and Sanitation, GOI, (March 2019).
The author is Biraja Kabi Satapathy, Water, Sanitation and Hygiene Specialist with UNICEF, Chhattisgarh.
Communication Email: smanchikanti@unicef.org

Grassroot
Role of Community Radio in Disaster Management

and Climate-change Communication
Nuti Namita
Community radio specialises in providing local information to the local people. Thus, it can play
an important role in disaster risk reduction, especially in pre-disaster preparedness and mitigation
through awareness raising that targets different community groups. The Ministry of Information &
Broadcasting, Government of India is committed to develop a vibrant Community Radio movement
through participation, involvement and ownership of the local community for greater information
dissemination and further empowerment of people.
Community Radio in India community radio stations. There social learning through listening
Community Radio provides an are 51 operational community radio clubs, call-in shows, and other
opportunity to the community to speak stations in 26 districts. Community forms of exchange;
about issues concerning their lives. radios are also prominently being • Communicating local knowledge,
In December 2002, the Government used in Nepal, Bangladesh, and needs, and demands beyond the
released a policy that allowed well- Philippines for rural development. community to inform policy,
established educational institutions They are equally popular in Canada, research, and other communities;
to set up Community Radio Stations. America, Australia, and South Africa.
• Providing the only media
In order to promote development Community Radio is useful in: available to communities that
and social change, the Government • Speaking to communities in have little or no access to
in November 2006 implemented local languages using terms and other methods of conveying
new Community Radio Guidelines phrases that are easily and locally information and knowledge;
permitting non-profit organisations understood;
to own and operate community radio • Bringing together people
stations. With the new policy in place, • Providing two-way interactive from frequently disconnected
it opened doors for community radio
as a platform for development, social
300 276
change, and voice of the community
247
in concern. 250
225
At present, 276 functional 200
204
No. of CR Stations
190
176
Community Radio Stations are 164
150 145
operating in India. Out of these 276
stations, 129 are run by educational 100 111
87
institutions, 132 by community-based 61
50
organisations, and 15 by Krishi Vigyan 41
Kendra/State Agriculture Institutions. 0
At present there are 78 coastal districts 2003-08 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019
in the country. However, all coastal
Operational Community Radio Stations (year-wise)
districts do not have operational
The author is Assistant Professor in Shri Venkateshwara College, Delhi University. Email: namita.nuti@gmail.com

stakeholder groups such as
livelihoods, community leaders,
organisations and governance.
Community Radio and Disaster
Management
The presence of community
radio in every phase of a disaster-
-disaster mitigation, preparation,
early warning, response, recovery
and revitalisation, is essential for the
exchange and sharing of information
and dialogue among residents as
well as the enhancement of the
community’s capability and of self-
governance ability. Stories about Emergency Radio, Cuddalore, Tamil Nadu
climate and environmental change
appear in the form of documentaries, sharing between communities. Thus, locations and safety shelters can be
interactive talk shows, drama and the sense of empowerment that disseminated. Programmes regarding
people and communities can feel by sanitation measures and first aid
engaging in this way can help to build practices can be broadcast. Also, safety
At present, 276 functional local, institutional, and organisational drills can be organised, educating
Community Radio Stations capacity. people about emergency plans and
are operating in India. Out of Scope responses. Another important task is
broadcasting warning signals in case
these 276 stations, 129 are run Community radio can play a there is a calamity foreseen or likely
by educational institutions, crucial role in disaster management to occur. Community radio holds such
132 by community-based via assisting the community in three potential since it can reach areas and
stages: people that cannot be reached by other
organisations, and 15 by
Pre-Disaster forms of communication. It breaks
Krishi Vigyan Kendra/State
In the pre-disaster stage, the barriers of literacy and economic
Agriculture Institutions. status in bringing people together in
community radio stations can provide
guidance regarding its preparedness. times of disaster.
music, etc. helping communities to Information regarding gathering While television networks
learn more about these impacts and
share their experiences of responding
to them.
Most initiatives linking
community radio and climate change
are currently focusing on delivering
information and messages to
listeners about short- and medium-
term forecasts for farmers, alerts
for extreme weather events, and
messaging to discourage practices
which degrades environmental
assets. While these remain important
messages for communicating
local climate change adaptation,
community radio has the potential
to do much more by strengthening
community voices and providing Community radio journalists are helping farmers access climate science and share
an accessible space for knowledge adaptation techniques in Madhya Pradesh

break down almost instantly in face safety shelters where they can access to make use of community radio
of natural disasters, radio carries aid and rescue facilities. Locals can call approach.
with it the potential for continued in and provide first hand information Training Community Radio Staff in
functioning in such times. It can regarding the on goings in the affected
Disaster Management
foster community‘s awareness areas.
on the current situation in other For effective utilisation of
Post Disaster community radio in disaster
places hit by disaster; announce
forecast, and warnings issued by This is a very crucial phase as management, it is essential that the
the meteorological department and during rehabilitation the community staff members should be trained in a
provide updates on the status of relief requires maximum support. Having specific and well-defined manner on
and rehabilitation operations. a medium of communication in their disaster prevention, mitigation, and
own language or dialect can help in management communication. Several
During Disaster the strengthening the morale of the Government departments/Ministries
At the time of a disaster, most community. Post-trauma counselling at central and state level working
forms of communication are disrupted and updates on relief and aid can be a on climate change and disaster
barring radio signals. Community part of the content being broadcasted. management can join hands together
radio can help the community link with Guidelines regarding disposal of to use this platform.
Conclusion
Rural areas are constantly
faced with natural calamities given
The presence of community

radio in every phase of a
disaster--disaster mitigation,
preparation, early warning,
response, recovery and
revitalisation, is essential for
the exchange and sharing
of information and dialogue
among residents as well as
the enhancement of the
community’s capability and of
self-governance ability.
the environmental change. During

forest fires in summer, landslides
the relief agencies and Government wastage, restoration of safe water in monsoon, etc. these communities
control room. Two prime advantages supply and basic sanitation can be constantly struggle and their isolated
of community radio are that they provided. Community radio provides situation doesn‘t help the cause.
focus to the affected communities and an indigenous solution to a problem Community radio has the power to
the content is delivered in the local that is being faced at a large scale in organise and provide information
language. This can help in disseminating the country these days. It can be an and connect these communities to
rescue operation information by important component of rescue, relief, the much needed aid and relief. Also
location-specific stations. Also, and rehabilitation efforts. The need since the content is in the local dialect
since the information is in the local is to build the capacity of operating it can help curb miscommunication
language/dialect it helps avoid any personnel of community radio and and misinformation in times of
miscommunication. Information and equip them to handle and disseminate panic. Several initiatives and
announcements regarding vulnerable disaster-related information in an innovations are happening in the
areas which require immediate optimal manner. In this manner, the community radio front but they can
evacuation can be broadcasted and the local community itself can be enabled serve their purpose best if integrated
community members can be guided to through infrastructure and training together. 

Interview
In Conversation with Prof. M.S. Swaminathan

Monkombu Sambasivan Swaminathan, popularly known as Prof. M.S. Swaminathan, father of the
Green Revolution, greeted us with a smile when we met him at his office on a bright, sunny morning of
11 December, 2019. He fondly recollects his association with Yojana, when Sharada Prasad was at the helm
of affairs as Yojana Editor in the early 60s. “Those years, there were very few issues of Yojana, where my
article would not have appeared”, Prof. Swaminathan says with pride. At the age of 94, the founder of M.S.
Swaminathan Research Foundation (MSSRF), though tied to his wheelchair, but his mind is still sharp and
is equally passionate about promoting sustainable agriculture, improving the standard of living of ordinary
farmer, and offering suggestions on how to prepare ourselves to combat climate change.
Excerpts from Prof. Swaminathan’s interview by Sanjay Ghosh, Yojana, Chennai.
The Prime Minister in his address colleges, and homes. In our own homes The Government has rolled out
at the United Nations Climate we still switch on air conditioners several policies and programmes to
Change Summit has mentioned even when it is not needed. Now you tackle climate change. What more
that behavioural change is the should know every unit of energy we needs to be done?
need of the hour to combat climate depend on is non-renewable energy, We are very unique in one sense.
change. How do we bring about then we are in difficulty. So how We are a democratic society, secular
this change? do you promote renewable energy democracy–a vibrant democracy at
Behavioural change comes at instead of non-renewable energy? In three levels–at the grassroot level,
three levels. One, from home, where other words, there is a need for energy Panchayat institutions and at the
the role of the mother is very important. management at household levels, at State-level legislative committees
Secondly, in schools and colleges. institutional levels and in cities and and so on. In terms of life and public
Thirdly the society, starting from towns. So, it requires a number of education at National level we also
political leaders, unless they have a steps to create more public awareness have large number of academies,
commitment to ensure that we do not at schools and colleges. I strongly scientific institutions, and a number of
interfere with climate, we will have believe every Panchayat should have universities. At political level, starting
difficulty. Therefore, the behavioural a climate management society. We from Gram Sabha to Parliament.
changes have to be brought about at should try to educate the Panchayat And that is why I would say public
three levels. At home level as usual, members about the need to combat education should become everybody’s
the school and college level where climate change. business. Not only a few, but we
education has an important should all feel that the climate
role to play and finally does not distinguish the rich
your life and your attitude and the poor man. All are
towards public life. In our equal before the climate. And
country, unfortunately, only if you are rich you try to
we do not have yet well- manage the climate in your
organised programme of own room by using energy. I
public education. think the time has come for
There is an effort. us in our country, to come
[The] Prime minister together to tackle climate
particularly tries his best to change. We have started
spread the news about the MSSRF climate research in
dangers of climate change. the year 1989. Over thirty
File Photo
But, I would say, we do not years we have taken a number

yet have it in our schools, of steps on this front.

So, I think, we are pace which is needed largely because
making a transition energy is important for everything.
now and with the This room is now lit; it needs energy
Government, the present for that. For cooking we need energy.
Government in particular Therefore, the pace can be accelerated
is giving a lot of emphasis provided we find alternatives to every
on climate issues. In the one of the high carbon activity. For
recent climate change example, the smokeless chulha−
conference [COP, it may be a small item. But that’s
Madrid], I hope it will important. It will make a contribution.
come to an agreement We should try to make more and more
with all countries. It such contributions and we should be
is not India, it is not aware of the importance of climate
Eurasia, it is not USA change. In the next ten years nothing
but every citizen of much is going to happen. But, next
this world should have twenty years it will happen. By that
Photo: Sanjay Ghosh
a feeling that it is my time your children will be grown up
planet. He should feel and therefore we should not become
that this is the only one complacent.
I have and therefore I
should try to protect it In the recent months stubble
In the beginning there was very from climate change or other forms of burning has become a major cause
great reluctance. But things are changes. for pollution in Delhi. What are the
changing. I think we are in the mode steps that the Government needs to
I think the story is happening take to tackle it?
of transition from a high carbon though I am not satisfied with the pace.
society to a low carbon society. But I am sure with the knowledge of When the rice, wheat crop
We should try to make use of this today, there is a growing awareness rotation began in Punjab, stubble
transition as far as possible, for the that climate has tremendous influence burning started. I have been a witness
good of the country. upon the future of our lives and to this from the beginning. Generally,
Is this transitional phase taking planet. It is not happening at the rice varieties will grow long. But then
longer time?
That’s true. That is what I said
About Prof. M.S. Swaminathan
earlier. Theoretically, our people are A plant geneticist by training, Professor Swaminathan’s contributions to the
aware of the climate problem. In agricultural renaissance of India have led to his being widely referred to as
fact, we were among the first to have the scientific leader of the green revolution movement. He was described
had IMD, Indian Meteorological by the United Nations Environment Programme as “the Father of Economic
Department, for climate measurement Ecology” because of his leadership of the ever-green revolution movement in
because we are largely an agricultural agriculture. He was the Director of the Indian Agricultural Research Institute
country. Due to the whole (1961-72), Director General of Indian Council of Agricultural Research and
photosynthesis, agriculture is main Secretary to the Government of India, Department of Agricultural Research
source of renewable energy. We know and Education (1972-79), Principal Secretary, Ministry of Agriculture
in South India, for example, they (1979-80), Acting Deputy Chairman and later Member (Science and
worship the Sun and the green plant Agriculture), Planning Commission (1980-82) and Director General,
during the Pongal time. The idea of International Rice Research Institute, the Philippines (1982-88).
the Sun being worshipped is the fact Professor Swaminathan was awarded the Ramon Magsaysay Award for
that the green plants are absorbing Community Leadership in 1971, the Albert Einstein World Science Award
the sunlight and converting it into in 1986, the first World Food Prize in 1987, and Volvo, Tyler and UNEP
energy. These are all advance stage of Sasakawa Prize for Environment, the Indira Gandhi Prize for Peace,
knowledge. When I ask people what
Disarmament and Development in 2000 and the Franklin D Roosevelt Four
is the meaning of the Pongal? Why do
Freedoms Medal, the Mahatma Gandhi Prize of UNESCO in 2000 and the
they choose sugarcane as a variety?
Lal Bahadur Sastri National Award (2007). He is the recipient of Padma Shri
People don’t know that. Sugarcane
(1967), Padma Bhushan (1972) and Padma Vibushan (1989).
is the most efficient absorber of solar
energy. Source: https://www.mssrf.org

the rice has to be harvested. The rice desert zone, each required different require at least a climate management
has to be harvested by September/ methods to be adopted for farming. unit at every Panchayat, the issue of
October so that wheat can be planted But, I think that knowledge is now stubble burning can be added as an
at the right time. Otherwise wheat forthcoming. You see normally item in their climate management
yield will go down. Therefore, I have they blame the farmers. They are agenda.
suggested we should have varieties producers. We have become number Artificial intelligence and IoT
of rice which can be harvested one producer of rice in the world. are playing major role in every
earlier. The longer the duration, they Thailand used to be the number one. sector. How can we harness these
get good yield; but they don’t go by Therefore, there is no use in blame technologies in agriculture?
the one crop yield. Take two crops game. What is important is here is
together: the rice and wheat rotation. the rice stubble. It is a good source Nationally it has to be done
of calories for animals and also has at three levels. One is we should
Somehow, there is a completely have a National Academy which
new crop rotation now in Punjab. good vitamins. How can farmer
make use the untapped source for has branches all over the country
Wherever this rice, wheat rotation just as the Indian Science Academy.
is in place we need a Rice Bio Park. additional income? I did my best
when I was in the International Rice Secondly, every Panchayat should
Rice Bio Park means every part of have a method of doing. Thirdly,
the rice-the plant, straw, the hull, the Institute, Philippines. Mrs. Cory
Aquino was the country’s President. Government of India now has the
husk, the leaves-all of them should be annual meeting of all the Chief
utilised. They all have uses. My point She came to the foundation, took a
round at the rice bio park and she Ministers. There we should put up
is unless there is an economic value an agenda and say you should take
to them, farmers will not adopt it. In saw a beautiful rice straw paper. She
asked, how much it costs? Can you it up as a method.
South India, they don’t burn straw. In
my house we used to have four or five make thousand Christmas cards this Today’s food system is one of the
cows, so straw was very important year out of rice straw paper? She main drivers of deforestation
and was used to feed the cows. My placed the order. and bio diversity loss. How do we
mother would not waste even one If I have this rice straw and able tackle it?
straw as there was an economic value to get to say Rs.1000 a ton which is Well! For food system we require
to it. People look after it. Farmers not difficult, then I will not burn it. If more land. Ideally a country should
resort to stubble burning when they you give to neighbouring Rajasthan produce more and more food in
don’t have any economic value. it becomes the animal feed. It less and less land. Try to maximise
Stubbles have so much value. I wrote becomes a raw material for making the productivity pathway than area
to Government of Rajasthan stating paper, board, it becomes a re-manure expansion. Because our average yield
that you are near Punjab, you have lot method for improving soil fertility. is still 1 ton to 1.5 ton per hectare
of cows which are undernourished. Economic value will make the farmer while in countries like Japan it is
So why don’t you buy all the stubbles stop stubble burning. So there are 5 ton to 6 tons per hectare. We can
from neighbouring Punjab, giving economic uses of stubble, but there easily manage it by growing crops at
them money, taking them as feed to is a need for proper dissemination of higher productivity level. Also, we
the cattle. Unfortunately, these are information on the economic value of must include along with productivity,
my views. Good ideas sometimes stubble. the quality of the grain, whether it is
remain on paper. However, some of Basmati or any other variety, which
my good ideas were adopted very What would the government do to you can export more. If you can export
fast. But in this kind of change in make the technology available to the more you can grow more rice. We
cropping system we have to provide farmers to stop stubble burning? have largest rice cultivating area in
technology to the farmers in the fields Unfortunately, in our country the world− over 40 million hectares.
to convert rice straw into useful end technology transfer is slow. Because So there is lot of scope to grow more
products. we have agriculture as State subject rice, more wheat.
But in this kind of change in and Government of India is concerned We are essentially an agriculture
cropping system we have to develop with larger issue, policy and so on. country. That’s what we have to
a technology. For example, in ancient At the village level also there is no recognise. Modern industry is
times in Tamil Nadu, there were five extension agencies. I started for this labour saving. Agriculture is labour
major farming systems, namely, purpose what we call Krishi Vikas absorbing. Jobless growth is not
Kurinji, Mullai, Marutham, Neithal, Kendras in 1972. I thought something what we want. Job-led growth is
Paalai. In the hill zone, forest zone, like Krishi Vigyan Kendras. The idea needed and agriculture provides the
wet zone, the coastal zone and the has caught on but nevertheless we solution. 

YE-1370/2019

Sustainable Living
Mitigation of Carbon Footprint

Dr. T. V. Ramachandra (1)
Bharath Settur, Vinay S. (2)
Bharath H. Aithal (3)
India has committed at the Paris Climate Change Agreement to reduce its emissions by 33-35%
by 2030, which necessitates immediate implementation of carbon capture with afforestation of
degraded landscapes with native species, regulations of land use land cover (LULC) changes
and de-carbonisation through large-scale implementation of renewable and sustainable energy
alternatives. This article studies in-depth on the issue taking a case of ecologically-sensitive Western
Ghats region.
G
lobal warming with the biodiversity hotspots and forests in (11% endemics), 156 reptiles (62%
burgeoning anthropogenic this region sequestering atmospheric endemics), 508 birds (4% endemics),
greenhouse gas (GHG) carbon, which aid in moderating the 120 mammals (12% endemics), 289
emissions (400 parts per global climate. The region is endowed fishes (41% endemics), and 135
million from 280 ppm CO2 emissions with 4,600+ species of flowering amphibians (75% endemics). It covers
of pre-industrial era) has been altering plants (38% endemics), 330 butterflies an area of approximately 160,000
the climate, eroding the ecosystem
productivity and sustenance of water,
thus affecting the livelihood of people.
The anthropogenic activities such as
burning fossil fuel, power generation,
agriculture, industry, polluting
water bodies, and urban activities
are responsible for increasing GHG
footprint of which 72% constitute CO2.
GHG footprint needs to be in balance
with sequestration of carbon to sustain
ecosystem functions. Forests are the
major carbon sinks (about 45%) that
aid in mitigating global warming.1, 2
The land use land cover (LULC)
dynamics leading to deforestation and
land degradation is the prime driver
of global warming due to the loss
of carbon sequestration potential as
well as emissions. The Western Ghats
(WG), Fig. 1 are one among 36 global
The authors are (1) Co-ordinator, Energy & Wetlands Research Group, Centre for Ecological Sciences TE 15, Convenor, ENVISat Centre
for Ecological sciences, IISc. (2) Research Scholars at Center for Ecological Sciences and (3) Assistant Professor, Indian Institute of
Technology Kharagpur, India 721302. Corresponding Author: tvr@iisc.ac.in; envis.ces@iisc.ac.in

sq. km. It is considered as a water tower of India due to
numerous streams originating and draining millions of
hectares. The rivers of WG ensure water and food security
of 245+ million people in the peninsular Indian States.
The region has tropical evergreen forests, moist deciduous
forests, scrub jungles, sholas, and savannas including the
high rainfall savannas of which 10% of the forest area is
under legal protection.
The land use (LU) dynamics was assessed using
temporal remote sensing data of Landsat 8 Operational
Land Imager (OLI-30 m resolution) 2018 data integrated
with field estimations and decadal land use (1985, 1995,
2005-100m resolution) available from International
Geosphere-Biosphere Programme (IGBP). The collateral
data included the vegetation maps developed by French Fig. 1 Study Area-Western Ghats, India
Institute of Puducherry, topographic maps (the Survey of
India) and virtual earth data (Google Earth, Bhuvan). The
carbon sequestration potential of forest ecosystems was
assessed on (i) published literature based on the standard
biomass experiments and (ii) field-based measurements
collected across the forests of WG of Karnataka using
transect-based quadrat sampling techniques.1, 2
The spatiotemporal LU analyses presented in Fig. 2,
highlights the loss of forest cover due to anthropogenic
pressure. The region had 16.21% evergreen forest cover in
1985, which is reduced to 11.3% in 2018. It has 17.92%,
37.53%, 4.88% under plantations, agriculture, mining
and built-up, respectively. The increase in monoculture
plantations such as acacia, eucalyptus, teak and rubber,
developmental projects, and agriculture expansions are the
major drivers of LU changes. The region has lost 12% of
interior (contiguous) forest cover during 1985 to 2018 with
an increase of non-forest cover (11%). The interior forests
(25% in 2018) are confined to major protected areas; edge Fig. 2 LU Analyses of WG from 1985-2018
forests are becoming more prominent due to sustained
anthropogenic pressure (Fig. 3). Goa has experienced
loss of large tracts of interior forest cover due to the
indiscriminate rampant mining activities. The projected LU
of 2031 (Fig. 4) highlights likely loss of evergreen forest
with increases in agriculture cover (39%) and built-up area
(5%).1 The large scale changes of agriculture and built-
up cover are noticed as per Fig. 4, in the eastern Kerala,
Tamil Nadu, and Maharashtra States of WG. The evergreen
forest cover will only be 10% of the WG by 2031, which
would threaten the sustenance of water and other natural
resources,3, 4 affecting the food security and livelihood of
people in the peninsular India.
Carbon Sequestration
The carbon sequestration potential of WG has been
quantified, which confirms that the forests of WG are
incredible reservoirs of biomass and carbon stock,1,5,6
highlighting the critical role of forests in lowering
atmospheric carbon (emitted due to anthropogenic Fig. 3 Forest Fragmentation from 1985-2018

Fig. 4 Likely LU and Fig. 5 Above Ground Biomass (Standing Biomass),
Fragmentation of WG by 2031 Carbon, Soil Carbon Content and Total Carbon Stock of WG
activities) and mitigation of global LU’s (a) conservation scenario and about 3.1 MGg (2017) and the per
warming (Fig 5a, 5b). The southern (ii) business-as-usual scenario. The capita CO2 emissions of 2.56 metric
and central WG regions endowed business-as usual-scenario (with the tonnes. Carbon emissions from
with the rich native forests have soils current trend of decline of forest cover major metropolitan cities of India is
rich in carbon (0.42 MGg), evident due to LU changes) depicts the above about 1.3 MGg contributed by major
from Fig. 5c. Similar trend is noticed ground biomass of 1.3 MGg with cities such as Delhi (38633.20 Gg)
in the incremental carbon captured stored carbon of 0.65 MGg and soil Greater Mumbai (22783.08 Gg),
by soil 15120 Gg, and higher carbon carbon of 0.34 MGg. Chennai (22090.55 Gg), Bengaluru
content increment per year is noticed (19796.6 Gg), Kolkata (14812.1
Carbon Footprint Gg), Hyderabad (13734.59 Gg), and
in Karnataka and Central Kerala
parts of WG. The total incremental Carbon footprint is contributed Ahmedabad (6580.4 Gg) from energy,
carbon excluding carbon loss through by emissions from the energy sector transportation, industrial sector,
productivity is accounted to be 37507.3 (68%), agriculture (19.6%), industrial agriculture, livestock management
processes (6%), LU change (3.8%) and waste sectors per year.5
Gg. The likely changes in carbon
sequestration potential in the WG and forestry (1.9%), respectively Ecologically fragile WG has been
is estimated considering simulated in India with CO2 emissions of playing the pivotal role of mitigating
Table 1. Carbon Emission Across the States of WG

State/UT Emission (Gg) per year
Carbon stor-
CH4 (CO2 CO (CO2 Total (Gg) age in WG % Removal
CO2 (Gg) per year
equivalent) equivalent)
Goa 233 337 3881 4451 872 20
Gujarat 15546 14498 79138 109182 1947 2
Karnataka 15662 15239 54337 85237 10401 12
Kerala 3167 6108 26047 35321 7617 22
Maharashtra 23129 26497 105260 154886 11020 7
Tamil Nadu 15761 19190 71107 106058 5375 5
Dadra and Nagar Haveli 46 63 1458 1567 601 38
Total Emission (Gg) 496703 37833 8

carbon footprint with the potential which is evident from the occurrence
to sequester carbon emission of all Catchment integrity plays of perennial streams compared to the
southern Indian cities and 1.62% of a decisive role in sustaining intermittent or seasonal streams in the
the total CO2 emissions from India. water for the societal and catchment dominated by degraded
The total emissions from WG states forest patches in the Western Ghats.
accounted to be 352922.3 Gg (Table 1)
ecological needs, which is The streams are perennial when its
and forests of WG have the ability to evident from the occurrence catchment is dominated by vegetation
sequester 11% of the emissions, which of perennial streams in the (>60%) of native species. This is
highlights vital carbon mitigation catchment dominated by mainly due to infiltration or percolation
role and in moderating climate. India native flora, highlighting the in the catchment as the soil is porous
has committed at the Paris Climate with the presence of native species.
Change Agreement to reduce its
riverscape dynamics with Diverse microorganisms interact
the emissions by 33-35% by 2030, the hydrological, ecological, with plant roots and soil helps in the
which necessitates immediate social, and environmental transfer of nutrients from the soil to
implementation of carbon capture dimensions linkages and water plants and the soil is porous. Analyses
(with afforestation of degraded sustainability. of soil sample from the catchments
landscapes with native species, of perennial, intermittent streams
regulations of LULC changes) and reveal that soils in the perennial
de-carbonisation (through large- credit mechanism and streamlining streams catchment has the highest
scale implementation of renewable stakeholder’s active participations moisture content (61.47 to 61.57%),
and sustainable energy alternatives) would dramatically reduce the abuse higher nutrients (C, N and K), and
through stringent norms towards (i) of forests and encourage farmers to lower bulk density (0.50 to 0.57 g/
protection of ecologically fragile grow trees and converting the land to cc). Compared to this, catchment of
regions, (ii) dis-incentives for its next best use.1-4 intermittent and seasonal streams had
continued higher emissions based on higher bulk density (0.87 – 1.53 g/
Water and Food Security towards
‘polluter pays’ principle, (iii) adoption cc) and relatively lower nutrients [3].
of cluster-based decentralised Sustainable and Healthy Living The analyses provide insights of the
developmental approaches, and (iv) Ecologically fragile Western role of forests with native species in
incentives for reduced emission. The Ghats through perennial streams and maintaining the hydrological regime
carbon trading has demonstrated the rivers has been ensuring water and while sustaining the local demand,
potential in monetary values across food security in the peninsular India. which is useful in the watershed
the globe of Indian forests in capturing Alterations of landscape structure (catchment/basin) management by
carbon and the forest ecosystems in in the catchment areas influence the respective government agencies.
the WG are worth Rs. 100 billion ($1.4 the hydrological regime leading to Fragmented governance and the
billion) at $30 per tonne. The carbon variations in the hydrological status, deteriorating ecological ethics with
the lack of vision among the decision
makers are the principal reasons of
deforestation and land degradation.
A comparative assessment of
people’s livelihood with soil water
properties and availability of water
reveals that streams with its catchment
dominated by native species vegetation
(>60%) have higher soil moisture and
groundwater in comparison to the
catchment (of seasonal stream) during
dry spell of the year. The higher soil
moisture due to the availability of
water during all seasons facilitates
farming of commercial crops with
higher economic returns to the
farmers, unlike the farmers who
face water crisis during the lean
season. This emphasises the need

for conservation endeavour towards scarcity of water immediately after
maintaining native vegetation in the The premium should be on the rainy days and also loss of life
catchment, highlighting its potential conservation of the remaining and property with the mudslides, etc.
to support people’s livelihood with Hence, ecologically fragile regions
water conservation at local and
native forests, which are such as Western Ghats needs to be
regional levels. Plantation crops vital for the water security conserved on priority to sustain the
(viz. areca nut, coconut, banana, (perennial streams) and agriculture and horticulture in the
betel leaf, and pepper) are the major food security (sustenance peninsular India and support the
income generating products in the of biodiversity). There still economy to realise the status of
catchment of perennial streams. A developing country with the healthy
total amount of Rs. 3,11,701/ha/yr
exists a chance to restore the citizen and $5 trillion economy
(year 2009-10) gross average income lost natural forests through by 2025. Lopsided developmental
was generated from the plantation appropriate conservation and approaches driven by land, wood,
crops against an average expen- management practices. and water mafia will only drain the
diture of Rs. 37,043/ha/yr, (mainly nation’s economy with the recurring
for plantation maintenance), yielding instances of floods and droughts. 
a net profit of Rs. 2,74,658/ha/yr. practices. Current practices adopted
References
On the contrary, for the catchment by 20th century decision makers have
of seasonal streams, (where both been contributing to the erosion of 1. Ramachandra, T.V. & Bharath, S.
plantation and rice fields were water retention capability in the (2019a) Carbon sequestration potential
considered for income calculation) of the forest ecosystems in the Western
catchment with severe water scarcity,
Ghats, a global biodiversity hotspot, Nat
the average gross income generated evident from 180 to 279 districts in the
Resour Res (2019): pp.1-19. https://doi.
was Rs. 1,50,679/ha/yr against country reeling under droughts during
org/10.1007/s11053-019-09588-0
expenditure of Rs. 6474.10/ha/yr for the last three consecutive years. An
maintenance and field preparation. increase of mean temperature by 2. Ramachandra T. V. & Bharath S, (2019b)
This emphasises that sustenance 0.5°C and decline of rainy days in Global Warming Mitigation through
of water in a river ensures the Carbon Sequestrations in the Central
the Western Ghats highlights of the
Western Ghats. Remote Sensing in Earth
food security in the region which is imminent changes in the climate
Systems Sciences, https://doi.org/10.1007/
dependent on the land use dynamics with the global warming due to the s41976-019-0010-z
(forest vegetation cover) in its increase in carbon footprint with
catchment. Thus, catchment integrity the deforestation or reduction in de- 3. Ramachandra T.V, Vinay S, Bharath
plays a decisive role in sustaining S, Shashishankar A, (2018a). Eco-
carbonisation mechanisms.
water for the societal and ecological Hydrological Footprint of a River Basin
The Western Ghats with the in Western Ghats, YJBM: Yale Journal
needs, which is evident from the
spatial extent of 1,60,000 sq. km of Biology and Medicine [Issue Focus:
occurrence of perennial streams in the
catchment dominated by native flora, constitutes only 4.86% of India’s Ecology and Evolution] 91 (2018),
highlighting the riverscape dynamics geographical area (3,287,263 sq. km) pp.431-444
with the hydrological, ecological, and about 1.94% (64000 sq. km) in 4. Ramachandra, T.V., Bharath, S., &
social, and environmental dimensions WG are ecologically sensitive, which Gupta, N., (2018b). Modelling landscape
linkages and water sustainability.3,4 plays a decisive role in sustaining dynamics with LST in protected areas
This provides invaluable insights to the water for crop cultivation in 100 of Western Ghats, Karnataka. Journal
the need for integrated approaches million hectares in the peninsular of Environmental Management, 206,
in the river basin management in an India. Recent unfortunate instances 1253-1262. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
era dominated by mismanagement of of floods and subsequent drought jenvman.2017.08.001
river catchment with the enhanced (drying up of water bodies) in 5. Ramachandra, T.V., Bharath, H.A., &
deforestation process, inappropriate Karnataka, Maharashtra, and Sreejith, K., (2015). GHG footprint
cropping and poor water efficiency. Kerala is a pointer towards the of major cities in India. Renewable
The premium should be on mismanagement of forests in the and Sustainable Energy Reviews, 44,
conservation of the remaining native region. The region witnessed higher 473-495. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.
forests, which are vital for the water quantum of precipitation in shorter rser.2014.12.036
security (perennial streams) and food duration and as the catchment had 6. Ramachandra, T.V., Hegde, G., Setturu,
security (sustenance of biodiversity). lost the capability to retain water (due B., & Krishnadas, G., (2014). Bioenergy:
There still exists a chance to restore the to deforestation) through infiltration, A sustainable energy option for rural
lost natural forests through appropriate most of the rainwater moved towards India. Advances in Forestry Letters
conservation and management ocean as overland flow resulting in (AFL), 3(1), 1-15.

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YE-1368/2019

Sustainable Farming
Emerging Civil Society Initiatives in Agriculture

Chandra Sekhara Rao Nuthalapati
This article analyses the initiatives by Padma Shri awardee farmers and agriculturalists who are
paving the way forward for policy making towards better incomes for the farmer community and
nutritional security.
A
griculture of today farmer, Vallabhbhai Vasrambhai The definition of innovation
is witnessing several Marvaniya, has been doing innovation indicates that the use of practices
sustainable initiatives in carrot farming since late 1940s in not followed so far in the region
by farmers to improve Junagadh of Gujarat. Subsequently, and development of new products
farming techniques and to prop he developed ‘Mudhuvan-Gajar’ and services.2 Other awardees also
up their livelihoods and income. by decades-long selection for better introduced innovation in their respective
This is novel as the state generally yield, size, and shape. This variety crops. Ram Saran Verma from Barabanki
takes care of agricultural extension is also amenable for processing. The of Uttar Pradesh shifted to cultivating
and the standard development Rajasthan Agricultural Research tissue-culture banana in 1988 and
theory does not often find private Institute tested this variety and developed better crops each following
involvement in technology endorsed its cultivation. It is popular in year by developing suckers from the
dissemination and awareness building Gujarat, Maharashtra, and Rajasthan. best banana plant with the help of tissue
on best agricultural practices. The Experimenting with cauliflower culture. Sultan Singh demonstrated use
Government too has, in a way, cultivation since 1970, Jagdish Prasad of re-circulating aquaculture systems
recognised this changing landscape of Parikh from Rajasthan developed (RAS) for fish cultivation in adverse
agricultural development. The recent ‘Ajita Nagar Selection’ variety for climate with very limited use of water in
conferment of Padma Shri awards to better size and quality. It can be Karnal of Haryana. Another innovation
12 such farmer-leaders in 2019 is a cultivated without much chemical in dairy farm management by Narendra
case in point. All the awardees have use and the crop tolerates heat wave Singh from Panipat of Haryana was also
been encouraging fellow farmers conditions. awarded.
through their own practices as well as
structured trainings.
Innovations in Agriculture
Experiences of both developed
and developing countries show
that incremental innovations by the
users of technology viz., factory
workers and employees play pivotal
role in improving technology and
productivity.1 juxtaposing this to
agriculture, farmers can contribute
similarly to agricultural development
through innovation in theory.
The achievements of some of the
awardees endorse this hypothesis.
One of the Padma Shri awardee
The author is Professor of Economics at the Institute of Economic Growth, New Delhi. Email: chandra@iegindia.org

organisation for agriculture and associated issues.
babycorn growers Further, best practices in cattle rearing
in Haryana, and dairy farm management are
Rajkumari formed demonstrated by Narendra Singh in
self-help groups of Panipat of Haryana. A desert like area
women to create around Hulikal village of Ramnagar
awareness about in Karnataka was transformed to
best agricultural green belt by the dedicated efforts of
practices. Virtues Saalumarada Thimmakka by growing
of cooperative more than 8000 trees.
agriculture are Shifting Consumption Patterns
shown by R.S.
Verma in UP. The efforts of Yadlapalli
Almost all of these Venkateswara Rao to familiarise
farmer-leaders the beneficial nutritional effects
have been training of consumption of minor millets
co-farmers in have been altering the consumption
improving agri- patterns in the States of Telangana
cultural practices and Andhra Pradesh. As the priority
as well as in shifts from food security to nutrition
diversification and security, the focus of the policy
modernisation. makers is moving towards micro-
nutrient dense foods like minor
Diversification of millets and pulses, often called
Agriculture ‘orphan crops’. The Government of
Some of these India declared 2018 as the National
Saalumarada Thimmakka receiving Padma Award
awardees moved Year of Millets for promoting
against traditional cropping patterns cultivation and consumption of
Minimising Chemical Use
and towards improved livelihood these foods. It re-designated coarse
Reducing chemical use by options as well as employment
following organic methods of opportunities for rural youth
agriculture has been the focus of through diversification. Rajakumari As the priority shifts from
many of these awardees that include experimented with food crops in
Yadlapalli Venkateswara Rao from place of mono-cropped tobacco and
food security to nutrition
Hyderabad; Bharat Bhushan Tyagi innovated agronomical methods of security, the focus of the
from Bulandshahr, Uttar Pradesh; cultivation as per the terrain with the policy makers is moving
Hukumchand Patidar from Jhalwar, knowledge of soils, value addition, towards micro-nutrient dense
Rajasthan; Kamala Pujari from and marketing. Similarly, Kanwal
Koraput, Odisha; and Rajkumari Devi
foods like minor millets and
Singh from Sonepat, Haryana,
(Kisan Chachi) from Muzaffarpur, introduced cultivation of babycorn
pulses, often called ‘orphan
Bihar. They also organise training for experimentally in 1997 in place of crops’. The Government
farmers on best agricultural practices wheat and paddy and reaped higher had declared 2018 as the
and on ways for preserving local profits. With his inspiration, more National Year of Millets for
cultivars of several crops. Examples than 5000 farmers started cultivating
include Babulal Dahiya for paddy in promoting its cultivation and
babycorn and subsequently
Madhya Pradesh and Kamala Pujari mushroom. They formed a society
consumption. It re-designated
from Odisha for paddy, turmeric, and and then established their own coarse cereals like sorghum,
sesame. babycorn processing plant with an pearl millet, finger millet, and
They encouraged fellow farmers investment of Rs. 1.5 crore. In this minor millets as nutri-cereals in
to adopt better agronomic practices by process, they created many jobs in the 2018. All this is in the ‘Decade
demonstrating virtues of intercropping area. This model is proposed by him
(Bharat Bhushan in UP and V.V. for upscaling in 150 villages of 116
of Action on Nutrition’
Marvania in Gujarat) and crop districts as agricultural clusters. Both (2016-25) as per the United
rotation (R.S. Verma in UP). While Kanwal Singh and Ram Saran Verma Nations under SDGs.
Kanwal Singh formed a producers’ have been training farmers in hi-tech

DD Kisan is an exclusive 24x7 channel which is entirely dedicated to the farmers of the nation. The channel has been
dedicated to agriculture and related sectors, which disseminates real-time inputs to farmers on new farming techniques,
water conservation and organic farming among other information. It telecasts information on agriculture and related
subject for the benefit of its target audience including cattle rearers, bee keepers, poultry owners, mechanics and
craftsmen. This includes information broadcast on the changing weather condition well in advance, and the low cost
measures to protect crops/enhance produce during such conditions. Advice of scientists is broadcast periodically for
the farmers so that they may know about the crop diseases, ways to protect crops from various diseases and on how to
increase the crop yield. The Channel gives information on newer ways of agricultural practices being followed world
over and the R&D in the agricultural sector across the world.
Source: https://doordarshan.gov.in/ddkisan
cereals like sorghum, pearl millet, have become household names in Karnataka,4 the demand in Andhra
finger millet, and minor millets as this region and they have inspired Pradesh and Telangana seems to
nutri-cereals in 2018.3 All this is in people in consuming minor millets go much beyond the upper middle
the ‘Decade of Action on Nutrition’ like brown top millet and others. classes. The moot point however is
(2016-25) as per the United Nations There are hyperboles too on the how much of this spurt in demand
under SDGs. benefits of eating of these foods as creation can benefit farmer-growers.
Along with these efforts by hype always follows good practices. Economic logic suggests that if the
the State, the civil society has also Often the huge demand for minor prices are skyrocketing, the supply is
turned the tide in bringing quick millets outpaces the supply leading unable to catch up with the demand.
changes in consumption patterns. to exorbitant prices. Though millet The value chains for these foods have
Rao and his associate Khadar Vali consumption has been resurging in to benefit the poor farmers growing
them in environmentally degraded
lands and regions.
Research has to focus on
increasing the productivity of minor
millets that has been stagnant since
the sixties. The productivity of wheat
(772 kg/ha) and rice (724 kg/ha) was
same as that of sorghum and pearl
millet in the first four years of 1950s.
While the yields for wheat and rice
went up by four times since then, those
of the latter two just doubled; and data
for minor millets do not even exist.
Therefore, huge task lies ahead for the
development community that includes
civil society, researchers, and the
Government alike in fostering a level-
playing field for minor millet farmers.

Urban Agriculture through Terrace agriculture practices including organic
Gardening Some of these awardees took agriculture, diversification, shifting
Growing health consciousness the initiative to move against demand patterns for nutritional
among the urban population for safe security and new directions like urban
traditional cropping patterns agriculture indicate the way forward
food and need to match the demand-
and improved livelihood for the country’s agriculture in general
supply gap between the production
and demand for burgeoning options as well as employment and for driving up farmers’ income
population make it desirable to opportunities for rural youth in particular. These private initiatives
produce as much as possible using through diversification. The have to be tailor-made to the welfare
urban agriculture methods. The most needs of masses and adopt a practical
innovative efforts of these approach to agriculture diffusing good
crucial of the urban agriculture is the
farmer-leaders and the robust agricultural practices suited to disparate
rooftop gardening that can make use
of unused open spaces to provide food response from the farming agro-ecological zones. Their efforts
for the family, apart from reducing community in transferring will achieve better results when they
carbon load on environment. Rapid technologies, good agriculture work in tandem with governmental
strides have been made in urban and quasi-governmental agencies on
practices including organic addressing key challenges of the times.
agriculture in several countries,
agriculture, pathways for On the other hand, policymakers
most notably in the overpopulated
China and health-conscious Europe. diversification, shifting demand might do well to recognise successful
In India, few start-ups entered this patterns for nutritional security private initiatives and internalise their
segment for generating their business and new directions like urban efforts in broader developmental
profits as well as for sustainable urban efforts by mainstreaming their
agriculture indicate the way activities. The scope to involve the
agriculture. While there are plenty
forward for the country’s farming community in agricultural
of hobbyists and family-and-friends
farmers, neither the Governments agriculture in general and for development is huge and people have
nor the non-profit organisations have driving up farmers’ income in started venturing into it. It is time
recognised the full potential or need particular. the development discourse needs to
of the process. factor in these into the landscape of
planning. 
To sum-up, the activities of these
Padma Shri awardees has to be viewed extension. The innovative efforts of References
as a trend of emerging private initiatives these farmer-leaders and the robust 1. Freeman, Chris. (1994). Critical Survey:
in various parts of the country in response from the farming community The economics of technical change,
in transferring technologies, good Cambridge Journal of Economics, 18:
the challenging area of agricultural 463-514.
2. Rao, N. Chandra Sekhara, Sutradhar,
Rajib and Reardon, Thomas. (2017).
Disruptive Innovations in Food
Value Chains and Small Farmers in
India, Indian Journal of Agricultural
Economics, 72(1): 24-48. Keynote
Address delivered at the 76th Annual
Conference of the Indian Society of
Agricultural Economics organised in
Assam Agricultural University, Jorhat
during November 21-23, 2016.
3. Kulkarni, Vishwanath. (2018). From
Green Revolution to Millet Revolution,
The Hindu Business Line, March 26. With
inputs from K.V. Kurmanath and Shobha
Roy. https://www.thehindubusinessline.
com/specials/india-file/from-green-
revolution-to-millet-revolution/
article23356997.ece. Accessed on
15.5.2019
4. Dey, Sohini. (2018). The Millet
rises, Live Mint, October 13, 2018.
https://www.livemint.com/ Leisure/
cvazXsjdfTHbxXaK0yVQFJ/The-millet-
rises.html.

waste management
Managing Electronic Waste

Manjula Wadhwa
E
lectronic industry, one Rapid economic growth, coupled with comfort and easy information
of the world’s largest urbanisation and a growing demand for acquisition and exchange. The Global
and fastest growing consumer goods, has increased both E-Waste Monitor, 2017 published
manufacturing industries, the production and consumption of by the United Nations University
has provided some leverage to the electronics and electrical equipments. estimated that India generates about
socio-economic and technological While having some of the world’s 20 lakh ton of e-waste annually, nearly
growth of the developing society of most advanced high-tech software and 82% of which is personal devices.
India. However, consequence of its hardware developing facilities, India’s Another study identified that computer
consumer-oriented growth combined recycling sector is still underdeveloped. equipment account for almost 70
with rapid product obsolescence Most people are unaware of the per cent of e-waste, followed by
and technological advances are a potential negative impact of the rapidly telecommunication equipment like
new environmental challenge–the increasing use of computers, monitors, phones (12%), electrical equipment
growing menace of “Electronics and televisions. When these products (8%) and medical equipment (7%) with
Waste” or “e-waste” that consists of are dumped in landfills or incinerated, remaining from household e-waste.
obsolete electronic devices. Solid they pose health risks because of the After understanding the
waste management, which is already hazardous materials they contain. magnitude of the issue, let us evaluate
a critical task in India, is becoming Improper disposal of electronic their impact on our environment as
more complicated by the invasion of products leads to the possibility of well as health. Electronic products
e-waste, particularly computer waste. damaging the environment as well. actually are a complex mixture of
Advances in information The Information Technology several hundred tiny components,
technology during the last century industry has been one of the major many of which contain deadly
have radically changed Indians’, drivers of change in the economy since chemicals thereby threatening human
especially urban citizen’s lifestyle. the last decade and has contributed health and the environment. Most of
But, its mismanagement has led to significantly to the digital revolution the components in e-devices contain
new problems of contamination and in every aspect of our daily lives, lead, cadmium, mercury, polyvinyl
pollution. For example, personal providing our society with more chloride (PVC), brominated flame
computers (PCs) contain certain retardants (BFRs), chromium,
components, which are highly toxic, beryllium etc. TVs and video and
such as chlorinated and brominated computer monitors use CRTs, which
substances, toxic gases, toxic have significant amount of lead
metals, biologically active materials, and long-term exposure to these
acids, plastics and plastic additives, substances can damage the nervous
posing environmental and health system, kidney and bones, and even
challenges. This fast growing waste the reproductive and endocrine
stream has been accelerating because systems. Some of them are highly
the global market for PCs is far from carcinogenic. These e-wastes, when
saturation and the average life span improperly disposed (incinerated/
of a PC is decreasing rapidly. The land filled instead of recycling)
life span of central processing units with domestic waste, without
(CPU) has reduced way back from any controls, can contaminate the
4-6 years in 1997 to 2 years in 2005. soil, water, and air. In general the
The author is Assistant General Manager, NABARD, Chandigarh. Email: manjula.jaipur@gmail.com

Table 1
Weight Recycling
Materials Location Effects
(%) (%)
Kidney failure, central and peripheral nervous
Lead 6.2988 5 Acid battery, CRT;
systems, damage to the reproductive systems;
Cadmium 0.0094 0 Battery, CRT, housing; Long-term cumulative poison, Bone disease;
Chronic damage to brain, liver damage,
Batteries, switches,
Mercury 0.0022 0 damage to the central and peripheral nervous
housing;
systems as well as the foetus;
Decorative hardener, corro-
Chromium VI 0.0063 0 DNA damage, lung cancer;
sion protection agents;
Computer mouldings,
Plastic 22.99 20 Generates dioxins and furans.
cablings;
Source: https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/
electronic goods/gadgets are classified Burning of e-waste in open landfill and keep the environment free of
under three major heads: for obtaining gold and other precious toxic materials that would otherwise
• White goods: Household appliances; metals produces fine particulate have been released. Policymakers
matter and causes cardio-vascular need to address all related issues
• Brown goods: TVs, camcorders, and pulmonary ailments in children. ranging from production and trade to
cameras; and The wind carries toxic particles and final disposal, including technology
• Grey goods: Computers, printers, they enter the soil-crop-food pathway transfers for the recycling of electronic
fax machines, scanners etc. affecting both humans and animals waste. Clear regulatory instruments
as they enter the food chain. The adequate to control both exports and
Waste from the white and brown
motherboards have high level of imports of e-wastes and ensuring their
goods is less toxic when compared to
mercury and their improper disposal environmentally sound management
grey goods. Table 1 shows the effect of
may cause skin and respiratory should be in place. There is also a
grey goods on health.
diseases. Drinking water contaminated need to address the loopholes in the
Effects on Air, Water, and Soil with lead affects the central and prevailing legal framework to ensure
One of the most common effects nervous system and causes poor brain that e-wastes from developed countries
of e-waste on air is through air growth, dwarfism, hearing disability, are not dumped in our country for
pollution. Scavengers going through and impaired formation and function of disposal.
numerous landfills, looking for blood cells. Since, these chemicals are Manufactures of products must
improperly disposed electronics to not biodegradable, they persist in the be made financially, physically, and
make some income from the recycling environment for long time, increasing legally responsible for their products.
of these wastes, are exposed to such the risk of exposure. The Eleventh International Waste
hazardous elements. When electronic Management and Landfill Symposium
Some Solutions Addressing the issue
items containing heavy metals such and regulations that cover Design for
as lead, barium, mercury, lithium E-waste can be contained by Environment and better management
(found in mobile phone and computer minimising its generation. The product of restricted substances may be
batteries) are improperly disposed, designers must ensure the longevity implemented through measures. All
these heavy metals leach through the of the products through their’ re-use, vendors of electronic devices shall
soil to reach groundwater channels repair, and/or upgradeability features. provide take-back and management
which eventually run to the surface Stress should be laid on use of less toxic, services for their products at the end
as streams or small ponds of water. easily recoverable, and recyclable of life of those products. The old
Resultantly, the local communities, materials which can be refurbished, electronic product should then be sent
often depending on these water disassembled and remanufactured. back and carefully dismantled for its
bodies and the groundwater, suffer Recycling and reuse of material are parts to be either recycled or re-used,
from multiple diseases. Apart from the next options to reduce generation either in a separate recycling division at
these chemicals resulting in death of of e-waste. Recovery of metals, plastic, the manufacturing unit or in a common
aquatic plants and animals, intake of glass, and other materials reduces the facility. Collection systems are to be
the contaminated water by humans and magnitude of e-waste. These options established so that e-waste is collected
other animals results in lead poisoning. have a potential to conserve the energy from the right places ensuring that

this directly comes to the recycling
unit. Each electronic equipment
manufacturer shall work cooperatively
with collection centres to ensure
implementation of a practical and
feasible financing system. Collection
centres may only ship wastes to
dismantlers and recyclers who have
authorisation for handling, processing,
refurbishment, and recycling meeting
environmentally sound management
guidelines.
Apart from reducing greenhouse
gas emissions, which contribute to
global warming, recycling also reduces
air and water pollution associated Source: ipcaworld.co.in
with making new products from
the Central Pollution Control Board has developed a guideline on
raw materials. Hybrid methodology
(CPCB) as on 12 October, 2018, uniform inventorisation of e-waste
has the potential to overcome the
which specifies the collection targets in the country. As per information
problems associated with chemical
for the specified time (five years); available with CPCB, 69,414 MT of
and biological extraction techniques
but unfortunately, no independent e-waste was collected, dismantled,
for the metals present in e-waste. This
mechanism has been put in place and recycled during 2017-18. On 15
strategy can provide new and emerging
to check or verify the claims made July, 2019, question has been raised
area of metallurgy which may facilitate
in authorisations resulting in slack in Rajya Sabha on pollution due to
the extraction of metals present in trace
implementation. e-waste.
quantity from their ores.
EPR authorisation (Fig. 1), has Recently, Ministry of Electronics Challenges Ahead
been provided to 726 producers by and Information Technology (MeitY) Only 1.5 per cent of e-waste
generated in India gets recycled.
Salient features of the E-waste Lack of awareness about e-waste and
its recycling as well as the role of
(Management) Amendment Rules, 2018 the unorganised sector are the added
challenges to the problem. The base
1. The e-waste collection targets under EPR have been revised and
metals which can be reused are lost
applicable since 1 October, 2017. The phase-wise collection targets for
and result in soil contamination due to
e-waste in weight shall be 10% of the quantity of waste generation as
unorganised and crude dismantling.
indicated in the EPR Plan during 2017-18, with a 10% increase every
A consumer of an electric or
year until 2023. After 2023 onwards, the target has been made 70% of the
electronic device is not apprised of
quantity of waste generation as indicated in the EPR Plan.
the end of value chain of the product.
2. Separate e-waste collection targets have been drafted for new producers, Often, information is not provided
i.e. those producers whose number of years of sales operation is less than along with the product packing
the average lives of their products. The average lives of the products will about the e-collection centre for the
be as per the guidelines issued by CPCB from time to time. product sold. The responsibility of
3. Producer Responsibility Organisations (PROs) shall apply to the Central the consumers is not specified along
Pollution Control Board (CPCB) for registration to undertake activities with the product.
prescribed in the Rules. Technical and policy-level
4. Under the Reduction of Hazardous Substances (RoHS) provisions, cost interventions, proper implementation,
for sampling and testing shall be borne by the government for conducting capacity building, and increasing
the RoHS test. If the product does not comply with RoHS provisions, the public awareness are the need of
then the cost of the test will be borne by the Producers. the time. They only can convert this
challenge into an opportunity and set
The E-Waste Management Rules 2016 have been amended vide notification global credible standards concerning
G.S.R. 261(E), dated March 22, 2018. environmental and occupational
(Source: Press Information Bureau) health. 

YE-1363/2019

clean energy
Development and Environment:

Maintaining the Fine Balance
S. C. Lahiry
Climate change has already had significant effects on productivity and the quality of life.
A balance has to be struck between industrial progress and environmental degradation caused
primarily by industrial pollution. Development and environmental protection can dovetail with
proper planning and management. The article studies how sustainable development does not
end with sustainability of environment and resource system but it also requires sustainability of
economic and social systems.
W
ith the advent of the efforts to combat it.1 The purpose sponge iron, steel & ferroalloys,
Industrial Revolution of economic development in any petroleum and chemicals, etc. In
in the 19th century, region is to provide opportunities industry-specific clusters, these
the world moved fast for improved living and jobs to have not only become hazardous,
towards better living—terming it people. While industrial development but also cause irreparable damage to
as growth—but at the same time, invariably creates more jobs in any our ecology and environment, often
degrading the purity of nature in all region, possibilities of adverse effects breaching the environment’s carrying
forms. The Stockholm Conference on the environment also increase. capacity.2
held in 1972, on the “human Dust, smoke, fumes, and toxic gas Environmental protection
environment” brought to light the emissions occur because of highly- measures have become necessary
urgency of tackling environmental polluting industries such as thermal for development and to sustain
problems through various efforts. power plants, coal mines, cement, environment at the same time. It is all
Environment is of course a critical
challenge to continuation of our
growth and to the extent of which
growth translates into improved
quality of life. Many of our cities
are increasingly experiencing high
levels of pollution. If we cannot
protect our environment at present
level of development, greater growth
will make matters far worse. The
consequences of rapidly falling water
tables in many parts of the country are
already threatening our sustainability.
Climate change has already had
significant effects on productivity and
the quality of life in India whereas we
need to be at the forefront of global
The author has been associated with the Planning Commission for over 25 years and served in different capacities in sectors like Industries
& Minerals, Agriculture & Animal Husbandry. Email: sclahiry@gmail.com

and rework the strategies of setting
up industry-specific clusters based on
comparative advantage.
India’s installed capacity of
diesel generating sets forms a third
of its total grid connected capacity.
Toxic fumes emitted by burning
diesel in Diesel Generator sets have
serious implication and power thus
generated is also expensive. As a
deterrent, incentives for both capital
investment and power generation by
solar rooftop have been encouraged.3
Various policy inducements have
translated into lower generation cost.
Tariffs for solar power have fallen to
record low due to the Government’s
the more important for India where technology. Steel, cement, chemicals, solar energy drive aimed at reducing
economic development is necessary to and petroleum refineries have also greenhouse gas emissions. The gap
meet the growing demand of people. adopted state-of-the-art technologies. between the thermal power and solar
However, indiscriminate degradation Adequate and effective pollution power has been narrowing. In 2018,
of environment in the name of control measures are required so that renewable energy has reached 73
economic progress is unwarranted. adverse effects on the environment are GW accounting for over 20 per cent.
A balance has to be struck between minimised. There is a need to review The installed capacity of renewable
industrial progress and environmental energy in the country recorded 83.4
degradation which is caused primarily GW as on 31 October, 2019 while
by industrial pollution. Sustainable The gap between the thermal wind energy accounts for 37 GW and
development does not end with power and solar power has Solar 31.7 GW. Apart from increasing
sustainability of environment and been narrowing. In 2018, share in green energy and adopting
resource system; it also requires latest technologies in fossil fuel-based
sustainability of economic and renewable energy has reached
plants, a host of measures are being
social systems. Development and 73 GW accounting for over
undertaken to reduce India’s carbon
environmental protection can easily 20 per cent. The installed footprint; while coal and other fossil
go together. It would be better to capacity of renewable energy fuels will continue to play a major role
begin new projects with built-in in the country recorded 83.4 in India’s energy mix in the decades
environmental safeguards rather to come, it is committed to tackling
than make haste only to regret later.
GW as on 31 October, 2019
climate change.
Growth without environmental safety while wind energy accounts
can prove counterproductive in the for 37 GW and Solar 31.7 GW. Clean technology essentially
long run. The Bhopal gas tragedy is means a process that minimises use of
Apart from increasing share
still fresh in the minds of the people. raw materials and produces minimal
in green energy and adopting waste. Globally, environmental
Unfortunately, no foolproof measure
latest technologies in fossil trends are reshaping the industry.
has yet been devised to cope with
fuel-based plants, a host of There are plenty of examples of
such unforeseen accidents which is
measures are being undertaken clean technologies round the globe.
very necessary to safeguard the health
The growth in clean technology
of the people living near the plants. to reduce India’s carbon
industry will definitely help in making
High emission level of pollutants footprint; while coal and other sustainable and safe environment for
at industrial clusters has been reported fossil fuels will continue to next generations. International Energy
in Raipur-Durg, Korba-Bilaspur, play a major role in India’s Agency (IEA) claims that clean
Agra-Kanpur, Vapi-Ankleswar, energy mix in the decades energy technologies and policies can
Dhanbad-Bokaro, Vizag, Tarapur, indeed meet multiple objectives in
Ludhiana, and so on. This is despite
to come, it is committed to
the most effective way. For example,
the fact that the number of power tackling climate change. sustainable mobility solutions can
plants switched over to super-critical increase access to services while

reducing congestion and increasing adaptive capacities on the other. India
productivity. Efficient building The Government has is committed to the UNFCCC and
technologies can reduce energy the Kyoto Protocol, which represent
launched National Clean Air
investment needs while increasing international consensus on the ways to
comfort for residents. Local sources Programme as a long-term, deal with climate change. It has a very
of energy and integrated distribution time bound, national level comprehensive framework of legal
systems can decrease the costs strategy to achieve 20 to 30 and institutional mechanisms in the
associated with delivering various per cent reduction in PM10 region to respond to the tremendous
services, while improving resiliency challenges to the environment and
and PM2.5 concentration by
and flexibility. has initiated several climate-friendly
2024. Its overall objective is measures, particularly in the renewable
The Government has launched
comprehensive mitigation energy sector.
National Clean Air Programme
(NCAP) as a long-term, time bound, actions for prevention, control, India inked Paris Climate Change
national level strategy to achieve 20 and abatement of air pollution deal on 2 October, 2016, a landmark
to 30 per cent reduction in PM10 besides augmenting the air pact which calls on countries to
and PM2.5 concentration by 2024. quality monitoring network combat climate change and limit
Overall objective of the NCAP is global temperature rise to well below
across the country and
comprehensive mitigation actions for 2 degrees Celsius. Incidentally, the
prevention, control, and abatement strengthening the awareness Paris deal adopted by 195 countries
of air pollution besides augmenting and capacity-building activities. in 2015 (leading player of GHG
the air quality monitoring network emission, the USA opted out) aims
across the country and strengthening The United Nations Framework to limit global warming to 1.5 degree
the awareness and capacity building Convention on Climate Change Celsius, considering pre-industrial
activities. (UNFCCC) defines “climate change” as level as the baseline. Paris hosted
The NCAP will be a mid- a change in climate attributed directly or and spearheaded the One Planet
term, five-year action plan with indirectly to human activity that alters Summit in 12 December, 2017.
2019 as the first year. The approach the composition of global atmosphere. The event was aimed at sustaining
for NCAP includes collaborative, It is observed over comparable time momentum on climate action and to
multi-scale, and cross-sectoral periods in addition to natural climate ring together civil society, private
coordination between the relevant variability. The major characteristics sector, and also national, regional,
central ministries, state governments of climate change include rise in and local governments. The focus
and local bodies. Dovetailing of the average global temperature, icecap was on climate finance—both public
existing policies and programmes melting, changes in precipitation and and private—and to retain and defend
including the National Action Plan on increase in ocean temperature leading the essence of operationalising some
Climate Change (NAPCC) and other to sea level rise. The efforts needed of the commitments to reduce GHG
initiatives of the Government with to address climate change include emission and switch to low-carbon
reference to climate change will be mitigating greenhouse gas (GHG) path. At the summit, 60 heads of
done while execution of NCAP. emissions on one hand and building States and business leaders vowed
to fight climate change. Regarding
financing climate plan, the EU is
reported to provide the $100-billion-
a-year grant that developed countries
have committed to by 2020. Japan
plans to contributing to the Global
Climate Fund (GCF) and focusing on
adaptation efforts in vulnerable areas
like Pacific Islands. Seeking to boost
the global economy’s shift to clean
energy, the World Bank announced
at the Summit that it would stop
financing oil and gas exploration and
extraction from 2019. The move was
meant to help countries meet the GHG
curbing pledges they had made in

support of the 2015 Paris Agreement. has asserted that India was going to house gases. At the operational
Despite such development, however, increase energy produced from non- level, the industries have to be
according to Annual audit report fossil fuels to 175 GW by 2022 and closely monitored by a responsive
of United Nation Environment would further it to 450 GW. India’s and competent body which would
Programme (UNEP), national pledges report on climate action plan under create a more predictable and
on emission reduction made by the Paris Agreement suggests that smoother regulatory environment,
countries under Paris Agreements over 80 per cent of the 51 companies setting regulatory standards in new
will only account for one-third of are responding to carbon disclosure areas necessitated by development
what is needed to avoid the worst project (CDP). India’s climate and enforce regulations effectively.
impact of climate change. Even full change programme has reported one There is need to improve the
implementation of the countries’ or more types of emission reduction capabilities as well as strengthen
unconditional ‘NDC’ (nationally targets and initiatives in 2017. It the our regulatory institutions. The
determined contributions) would lead noted that 40 per cent companies Central and State pollution control
to temperature increase of at least are committed to renewable energy boards are understaffed and often
3 degree Celsius by 2100. It means production and consumption targets lack infrastructure. It may be pointed
Governments have to urgently deliver with three of them even committing out that the Central Pollution Control
much stronger pledges when revised to 100 per cent renewable power in Board has a few hundred employees
in 2020. due course. The Indian companies are compared to 14000 at the US
India announced its new climate increasingly adopting internal carbon Environmental Protection Agency and
plan, also known as Intended pricing (ICP) as an important tool for number of scientists is even fewer6
Nationally Determined Contribution, managing climate risks. ICP provides while the State Pollution Control
(INDC) in 2015. India’s INDC targets incentives to relocate resources Boards function at sub-optimal
installing 175 GW of renewable towards low-carbon activities. Just levels due to gap in the capacity
energy capacity by 2022 (out of this, 478 units reduced 2 per cent of of enforcement and inadequate
100 GW has been allocated to solar India’s annual CO2 emission.4 The infrastructure. The Delhi Pollution
and 60 GW to wind) by increasing CDP India Annual Report (of 2018) Control Committee has less than 30
its share of non-fossil based energy noted that 13 companies are using scientists and engineers dealing with
from 30 per cent to about 40 per ICP and 24 companies anticipate air pollution in the NCR whereas
cent by 2030. It has committed to incorporating ICP in the next 2 years Mexico city has over 200.7 There is
reduce its emissions intensity per as compared to 11 and 20 companies, an urgent need to strengthen these
unit GDP by 33 to 35 per cent by respectively, in 2017. In 2019, 37 agencies by recruiting professionals,
2030 and create an additional carbon companies in India were in the taking up R&D work and provision of
sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of process of adopting ICP including better infrastructural support. 
CO2 through additional tree cover. major cement producer.5

Endnotes
The Prime Minister in a recently However, to a large extent, an
1. What the economy needs now. Edit.
held Climate Action Summit at New effective pollution regulation system Abhijit Banerjee et al. Juggernaut, New
York (October-November 2019) will reduce the emissions of green Delhi, 2019.
2. Environmental concern amidst
industrialisation. Samar Lahiry. Down To
Earth, 14 March, 2017.
3. https://sun-connect-news.org/fileadmin/
DATEIEN/Dateien/New/Solar-Rooftop-
Replacing-Diesel-Generators-in-
Residential-Societies.pdf. Accessed on 10
December, 2019.
4. India’s report on climate plan. Times of
India, 25 October, 2017.
5. Rastogi, 2019.
6. The Environment and Climate Change.
E. Somanathan in What the economy
needs now, Edit. Abhijit Banerjee et al.
Juggernaut, New Delhi, 2019.
7. Mission 80-80-80: A five-step roadmap
for cutting pollution. Arunabha Ghosh.
Times of India, 8 December, 2019.

YE-1362/2019

waste management
Plastic Waste in Construction and Road Making

Dr. Ashok G. Matani
Melting down old plastic waste to repurpose it into useful new items is one of the ways of reducing
the plastic in the oceans and landfills. Initiatives are being taken to use plastic waste out of landfills
in building roads. Plastic Road is a circular product based on recycled plastics. It has significantly
smaller carbon footprint than traditional road construction materials used because of its longer
lifespan and reduced transportation of material involved.
T
he Government of fragments and toxins released during Melting down old plastic waste to
India is encouraging photo-decomposition that pollute our repurpose it into useful new items is
waste plastic usage soil and water.1 one of the ways of reducing the plastic
for roads and highway in the oceans and landfills. Initiatives
As the world’s population
construction, especially on National are being taken to use plastic waste
continues to grow, amount of garbage
Highways within 50 km periphery of out of landfills in building roads.
generated is also growing. On-the-go
urban areas that have a population of Post-consumer Recycled (PCR)
5 lakh or more. The Ministry of Road lifestyles require easily disposable garbage is used in creating new
Transport & Highways has mobilised products, but the accumulation of polymer modified asphalt roads.
nearly 26 thousand people across the these products has led to increasing These are found to be more resistant
country for spreading awareness on amounts of plastic pollution around to erosion from weather and vehicle
plastic waste management. Over the world.2 use, and the number of new potholes
61 thousand hours of Shramdaan
has been initiated to collect plastic
waste. This has resulted in collection
of nearly 18 thousand kg of waste
plastic throughout the country. Every
10 tons of asphalt made with it uses
71,432 plastic bottles or 435,592
plastic bags.
Unmanaged plastic waste
negatively impacts the natural
environment and creates problems
for plants, wildlife, and human
population. Plastic is a useful material;
but it is made of toxic compounds
known to have health impacts. Also,
because it is meant for durability,
it is not easily biodegradable and
takes hundreds or even thousands
of years to break down. It is not just
the accumulation of plastics that
harms the environment—it is also the
The author is Professor, Department of Mechanical Engineering, Government College of Engineering, Amravati, Maharashtra.
Email: dragmatani@gmail.com

formed is reduced. A project in the
Netherlands used plastic waste from
ocean in road constructions. These
roads are claimed to last 50 years or
three times longer than conventional
roads and can survive extremely hot
or cold temperatures for all climate
use. In the UK, a factory is dedicated
to converting plastic waste into an
asphalt mixture for using in roads,
parking lots and driveways. National
Rural Roads Development Agency,
Ministry of Rural Development,
Government of India has issued
guidelines for the use of plastic waste
in rural roads construction.
The following types of waste for blending the bitumen in the Similarly, the bitumen is to be
plastics can be used in the construction construction of plastic roads. Bitumen heated to a maximum of 160°C in a
of rural roads: of grades 60/70 or 80/100 can be used separate chamber and kept ready (the
as binder as in case of conventional temperature should be monitored to
• Films (Carry Bags, Cups)
method.3 have good binding and to prevent weak
thickness up to 60 micron (PE,
bonding). At the mixing puddler, the
PP, and PS); The stone aggregate mix (as per
hot bitumen is added over the plastic
• Hard foams (PS), any thickness; specification) is transferred to the
coated aggregate and the resulted mix
mix cylinder where it is heated to
• Soft foams (PE and PP), any is used for road construction. The road
165°C (as per the IRC specification)
thickness; and laying temperature is between 110°C
and then it is transferred to the
to 120°C. The roller used is normal
• Laminated plastics with thickness mixing puddler (temperature can be
8-ton capacity. For intensive works,
up to 60 micron (aluminium monitored using IR thermometer).
Central Mixing Plant can also be used.
coated also) packing materials While transferring the hot aggregate
used for biscuits, chocolates, etc. into the puddler, calculated quantity Major Findings
of shredded plastics is sprayed over Use of plastic along with bitumen
Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) sheets
the hot aggregate within 30 seconds. in construction of roads not only
or Flux sheets should not be used in
The sprayed plastic films melts and increases its life and smoothness but
any case. Further, the waste plastic
gets coated over the aggregate, thus also makes it economically sound and
modifier should be free from dust
forming an oily coating. environment friendly. Plastic waste
and is to be shredded, preferably to
2-3 mm particle size. While Central used as modifier of bitumen improve
Road Research Institute (CRRI) some of the properties of bitumen.
specified that the shredded waste Unmanaged plastic waste Further it has been found that such
plastic should pass through 3 mm negatively impacts the natural roads were not subjected to stripping
sieve, one expert has suggested environment and creates when come in contact with water.
it to pass through 4.75 mm sieve Use of higher percentage of plastic
problems for plants, wildlife,
and retained on 1 mm. This also waste reduces the need of bitumen by
and human population. Plastic 10%. It also increases the strength and
indicates indirectly that the size
of the shredded bitumen should
is a useful material; but it is performance of the road. It has been
normally be 2-3 mm for better made of toxic compounds proved by various studies that the
spread and coating the aggregate. known to have health impacts. coating of plastics and rubber reduces
the porosity, absorption of moisture,
Method of Road Laying Also, because it is meant
and improves soundness.
Dry process is recommended
for durability, it is not easily
Looking ahead, we do not appear
for isolated works. CRRI has biodegradable and takes to be approaching the end of the
recommended that the percentage hundreds or even thousands of ‘plastic age’ and there is much that
of shredded waste plastic will be years to break down. plastics can contribute to society.
8% as the optimum plastic content Plastic materials have the potential to

bring scientific and medical advances, 2. Song J.H., Murphy R.J., Narayan R., Davies
including tissue and organ transplants; G.B.H. Biodegradable and compostable
Our current approaches to alternatives to conventional plastics. Phil.
lightweight components, such as those production, use, and disposal Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2009, 2127-2139.
in the modern aircrafts will reduce fuel
of plastics have not been 3. Hopewell J., Dvorak R., Kosior E. Plastics
usage in transportation; components recycling: challenges and opportunities. Phil.
for generation of renewable energy sustainable. Appropriate use and Trans. R. Soc. B 364, 2009, 2115–2126.
and insulation will help reduce carbon disposal, particularly recycling; 4. Hu G.X., Lian Q.Q., Ge R.S., Hardy D.O., Li
emissions and smart plastic packaging for industry by material X.K. Phthalate-induced testicular dysgenesis
will no doubt be able to monitor and reduction and by designing
syndrome: Leydig cell influence. Trends
Endocrinol. Metab. 20, , 2009, pp.139–145.
indicate the quality of perishable
goods.4
products for reuse and/or 5. Tugov, A.N. Experience of using
end-of-life recyclability and for municipal solid waste in the energy
Under the ‘Swachhata Hi Sewa’ industry (An Overview), Thermal
programme of the Government
governments and policymakers Engineering, 62 (2), 2015, pp. 853-861.
of India, awareness programmes by setting standards and 6. Anastas P.T., Crabtree R.H., editors. (ed.),
are being organised at campsite/ targets, by defining appropriate Handbook of green chemistry—green
catalysis. Vol I Homogenous catalysis.
local community centres, publicity product labelling to inform Handbook of Green Chemistry, New
through FM Radio, cleaning of and incentivise change and York, NY: John Wiley & Sons, 2009.
National Highways and collection 7. Trushin, B.V. Ecological safety and
of plastic waste/polythene bags/
by funding relevant academic
energetic potential of solid domestic
plastic bottles, cleaning up toll research and technological waste of Moscow region, Tverdye Bytovye
plazas, and organising Swacchata developments. Otkhody, 9(3), 2014, pp. 8-10.
Workshops for truck drivers and 8. Bolden J. et al. Utilization of Recycled and
toll employees. The Government is Waste Materials in Various Construction
labelling to inform and incentivise Applications, American Journal of
also discouraging the use of plastic
change and by funding relevant Environmental Science, 9 (1), 2013, pp. 14-24.
water bottles, installing dustbins
academic research and technological 9. Dharaskar, Rajiv V. Innovation - Growth
for collection of segregated waste,
developments. These measures must Engine for Nation - Nice Buzzword but
and is distributing cloth/jute bags. Often Misunderstood, Shroff Publishers
be considered within a framework
A stretch of road has recently been & Distributors Pvt. Ltd., New Delhi ,
of lifecycle analysis and this should 2014, pp. 12-24.
constructed using waste plastic on
incorporate all of the key stages
NH-48 near Dhaula Kuan. A portion 10. Matani, A.G., Doifode, S. K. Effective
in plastic production, including industrial waste utilization technologies
of Delhi-Meerut expressway and
synthesis of the chemicals that are towards cleaner environment, International
Gurugram-Sohna road has also
used in production, together with Journal of Chemical and Physical Sciences,
been planned for construction using 491(1), 2015, pp. 536-540.
usage and disposal. 
plastic waste. 11. Matani, A.G. Strategies for better waste
Plastics offer considerable Endnotes: management in industrial estates, Journal
[1] Ahmed M.M. and Raju S.S. Use of of Industrial Pollution Control, 22(1),
benefits for the future, but it is 2006, pp. 67-72.
Waste Plastic in the Production of Light
evident that our current approaches to
Weight Concrete, International Journal 12. Doifode, S.K., Matani, A.G. Advanced
production, use, and disposal are not & Magazine of Engineering, Technology, environment protection techniques by
sustainable and present concerns for Management and Research, 2(4), 2015, industries: potential for corporate social
wildlife and human health. We have pp. 365-369. responsibility activities, Journal of The
considerable knowledge about many [2] Afroz Sultana S K, K.S.B. Prasad, International Association of Advanced
Utilization of waste plastic as a strength Technology and Science, 15(3), 2015,
of the environmental hazards and pp. 1-8. Gregory M.R. Environmental
modifier in surface course of flexible and
information on human health effects rigid pavements, International Journal of implications of plastic debris in marine
is growing, but many concerns and Engineering Research and Applications , settings—entanglement, ingestion,
uncertainties remain. There is a role 2(4), 2012, pp.1185-1191 smothering, hangers-on, hitch-hiking and
alien invasions, Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B
for individuals, via appropriate use [3] https://www.tce.edu/sites/default/files/ 364, 2009, pp. 2013-2025.
and disposal, particularly recycling; PDF/Plastic-Roads-Guidelines.pdf
13. Koch H.M., Calafat A.M. Human body
for industry by adopting green [4] https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/ burdens of chemicals used in plastic
chemistry, material reduction and articles/PMC2873021/ manufacture. Phil. Trans. R. Soc. B 364,
by designing products for reuse 2009, 2063-2078.
References
and/or end-of-life recyclability and 14. Bolden J., Abu-Lebdeh T., Fini E.
for governments and policymakers 1. Gawande, A.P. Economics and viability of Utilization of recycled and waste materials
plastic road: A review, Journal of Current. in various construction applications,
by setting standards and targets, Chemical Pharmaceutical Sciences, 3( 4), American Journal of Environmental
by defining appropriate product 2013, pp. 231-242. Sciences, 9(4), 2015, pp.14-24.

the CONSTITUTION
National Voters’ Day 2020

‘Electoral Literacy for a Stronger Democracy’
Umesh Sinha
Mandate for universal equal suffrage emanates from Article 326 of the Constitution. The mandate was
further enhanced with the Constitution (Sixty-first Amendment) Act, 1988 that reduced the voting
age to 18 years. As per its mandate, the Election Commission made sustained efforts to enrol all eligible
electors. On 25 January, 2020, National Voters’ Day (NVD) celebration is completing a decade. Every
year this day is observed at over 10 lakh locations all over the country that include polling station areas,
sub-divisions, divisions, district, and at State headquarters. On this day, the entire nation reverberates
with the festivities of democracy as crores of Indians celebrate their right to vote.
N
ational Voters' Day is democracy in the world. Management, Expenditure Monitoring
celebrated since 2011 National level function is and Tackling Money Power, Use
to mark the Foundation organised at New Delhi by ECI where of Technology, Management of
day of the Election Hon’ble President of India graces Electoral Rolls, Innovation etc. are
Commission of India (ECI), which the occasion as Chief Guest. Awards considered. The selection process
was established on this day in the are given away to the National, is fairly comprehensive and aims
year 1950. Special and Zonal recipients besides at eliciting the best of the talent and
Every vote counts in the the ‘Best State Award’ and ‘Media performance among election officials
elections. NVD was initiated in 2011 Awards’ for excellence, proficiency, and stakeholders. New voters (18+
by the Commission to highlight and innovation in electoral process years old) are given their Elector
the value of vote and importance and outstanding performance. Best Photo Identity Card. Stakeholders in
of every vote in democracy. NVD Practices in Election Management other categories are also felicitated.
marks the Foundation day of Election in the fields of Voter Education, Guidance from the Hon’ble President
Commission of India, which was Security Management, Infrastructure and Chief Election Commissioner
established on this day in inspire citizens towards
the year 1950. The main commitment to maximise
purpose of the celebration is electoral participation.
to encourage, facilitate, and At the State level, the
maximise the enrolment, Chief Electoral Officers
especially for the new voters. (CEOs) organise similar
Dedicated to the voters of celebration in association
the country, the day is also with state administration,
utilised to spread awareness State Election Commission,
for effective participation in media, Civil Society
the electoral process. organizations (CSOs),
Each year, simultaneous educational institutions, youth
celebrations are organised at organisations, representatives
the National level, State level, of political parties etc.
district level down to the Hon’ble Governor of the
polling station level making respective State presides over
it the largest celebration of State-level functions. State
The author is Secretary General, Election Commission of India. Email: decus@eci.gov.in

awards for excellence, proficiency yy 2017: Empowering Young and of citizens, especially the youth in
and innovation in electoral process, Future Voters democratic electoral process, ECI
and outstanding achievement are yy 2018: Accessible Elections decided to celebrate 25 January, its
given at these functions. Foundation Day, as the National
yy 2019: No Voter to be Left Behind Voters’ Day every year.
At the district level, District
Election Officers (DEOs) organise yy 2020: Electoral Literacy for a Outcomes in terms of enrolment
similar events including voter Stronger Democracy. of voters emanating from the NVD
education activities. Panchayats, ECI launched the Electoral initiative have been encouraging.
academic institutions, CSOs, media, literacy programme under SVEEP on The Lok Sabha Elections 2019
youth and as such all sections of the the eve of 8th NVD and by now about saw a historic voter turnout of 67.47%.
society and citizens also get involved. 5.8 lakh Electoral Literacy Clubs Voter turnout had increased to a record
The Booth Level Officers (BLOs) in (ELC), Chunav Pathshalas, and Voter 66.44% in 2014 from 58.19% in 2009.
polling station areas felicitate new Awareness Forums have been set up The number of electors that was 83.4
voters at a brief ceremony and hand across the country. These forums crore on the eve of 2014 General
over Elector Photo Identity Card to work on the principle of engaging the Elections rose to 91 crore ahead of
them. Moreover, the freshly eligible target populations through hands-on Lok Sabha Election 2019. This is an
and registered voters are given a experience on the electoral process. addition of over 7.46 crore electors
badge with slogan ‘Proud to be a Voter The ELCs operate at the level of which included 4.07 crore women and
– Ready to Vote’; and all participants schools, colleges, and other institutions 3.3 crore men.
are administered Voters’ Pledge. of learning; Chunav Pathshalas
operate at community levels; and the Moreover, women participation
Voters’ Pledge is administered also increased to a historic 66.79%
to every participant on National Voter Awareness Forums operate at
the level of organisations including in 2019 reducing the gender gap to
Voters’ Day during the celebration 0.01% as compared to 1.46% in 2014
at each level. The Pledge conveys Government offices. The programme
is envisaged to expand and cover all elections. Also, with an aim to ensure
Commission’ commitment to ensure accessible elections, 62 lakh Persons
‘Informed and Ethical Voting’. the institutions.
with Disability (PwD) electors were
Mandate for universal equal identified.
Voters’ Pledge suffrage emanates from Article
326 of the Constitution. The At present, about 91 crore Indian
We, the Citizens of India, having citizens are registered as voters.
abiding faith in democracy, mandate was further enhanced
with the Constitution (Sixty-first The Commission has demonstrated
hereby pledge to uphold the fulfilment of its mandate through
Amendment) Act, 1988 that reduced
democratic traditions of our the voting age to 18 years. As per its conduct of successive elections in the
country and the dignity of free, mandate, the Election Commission country right from 1950 onwards. The
fair and peaceful elections, and to made sustained efforts to enrol strength of its electoral processes is
vote in every election fearlessly all eligible electors. Yet, voters’ seen both with awe and respect among
and without being influenced by apathy and lack of enrolment and democracies of the world. Today, the
participation of certain sections of electoral operations of India are the
considerations of religion, race,
society, especially the new voters largest in the world as demonstrated
caste, community, language or in the Lok Sabha Election 2019
any other inducement. (18+), was a challenge. During the
Diamond Jubilee celebration in where about 1.2 crore polling officials
NVD celebrations focus on 2010, the Commission had a focused worked at over 10 lakh polling stations
a specific theme every year. The analysis of both, the enrolment and in the country.
theme sets the tone for the activities electoral participation, especially A voter is the central unit of
conducted throughout the year. Year- among the young voters.
wise themes are as follows: a democracy and its electoral
The Commission decided to take processes. NVD connects voters
yy 2011: Greater Participation for a up a rigorous exercise to identify all with the electoral process and
Stronger Democracy eligible voters attaining the age of 18 renews both, their relevance and
yy 2012: Women’s Registration as on 1st January every year in each contribution to the democracy.
polling station area of the country, enrol
yy 2013: Inclusion them and handover their Elector Photo NVD inspires the voters, the
yy 2014: Ethical Voting Identity Cards on 25 January. The key stakeholder in democratic polity
initiative aimed at providing the youth besides other stakeholders including
yy 2015: Easy Registration, Easy
a sense of citizenship, empowerment, election machinery. Today, NVD
Correction
and pride in electoral participation as initiative has been institutionalised as
yy 2016: Inclusive and Qualitative also to inspire them in exercising the an annual feature for celebration of
Participation; No voter to be left newly acquired franchise. Thus, as a democracy and electoral participation
behind measure of enhancing participation in the country. 

YE-1371/2019

Do you know?
Tiger Corridors in India

T he National Tiger Conservation Authority in collaboration with the Wildlife Institute of India has published a
document titled “Connecting Tiger Populations for Long-term Conservation”, which has mapped out 32 major
corridors across the country, management interventions for which are operationalised through a Tiger Conservation Plan,
mandated under section 38V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972. The list of macro/landscape level tiger corridors are
as under:
Landscape Corridor States/Country

Shivalik Hills (i) Rajaji-Corbett Uttarakhand
& Gangetic (ii) Corbett-Dudhwa Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
Plains
(iii) Dudhwa-Kishanpur-Katerniaghat Uttar Pradesh, Nepal
Central India (i) Ranthambhore-Kuno-Madhav Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan
& Eastern (ii) Bandhavgarh-Achanakmar Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
Ghats
(iii) Bandhavgarh-Sanjay Dubri-Guru Ghasidas Madhya Pradesh
(iv) Guru Ghasidas-Palamau-Lawalong Chhattisgarh & Jharkhand
(v) Kanha-Achanakmar Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh
(vi) Kanha-Pench Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
(vii) Pench-Satpura-Melghat Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra
(viii) Kanha-Navegaon Nagzira-Tadoba-Indravati Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra,
Chhattisgarh, Andhra Pradesh
(ix) Indravati-Udanti Sitanadi-Sunabeda Chhattisgarh, Odisha
(x) Similipal-Satkosia Odisha
(xi) Nagarjunasagar-Sri Venkateshwara National Park Andhra Pradesh
Western Ghats (i) Sahyadri-Radhanagari-Goa Maharashtra, Goa
(ii) Dandeli Anshi-Shravathi Valley Karnataka
(iii) Kudremukh-Bhadra Karnataka
(iv) Nagarahole-Pusphagiri-Talakavery Karnataka
(v) Nagarahole-Bandipur-Mudumalai-Wayanad Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
(vi) Nagarahole-Mudumalai-Wayanad Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu
(vii) Parambikulam-Eranikulam-Indira Gandhi Kerala, Tamil Nadu
(viii) Kalakad Mundanthurai-Periyar Kerala, Tamil Nadu
North East (i) Kaziranga-Itanagar WLS Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
(ii) Kaziranga-Karbi Anglong Assam
(iii) Kaziranga-Nameri Assam
(iv) Kaziranga-Orang Assam
(v) Kaziranga-Papum Pane Assam
(vi) Manas-Buxa Assam, West Bengal, Bhutan
(vii) Pakke-Nameri-Sonai Rupai-Manas Arunachal Pradesh, Assam
(viii) Dibru Saikhowa-D’Ering-Mehaong Assam, Arunachal Pradesh
(ix) Kamlang-Kane-Tale Valley Arunachal Pradesh
(x) Buxa-Jaldapara West Bengal
Further, a 3-pronged strategy to manage human-tiger
negative interactions has been advocated as follows:
1. Material and logistical support: Funding support
through the ongoing Centrally Sponsored Scheme of
Project Tiger, is provided to tiger reserves for acquiring
capacity in terms of infrastructure and material, to deal
with tigers dispersing out of source areas. These are
solicited by tiger reserves through an Annual Plan of
Operation (APO) every year which stems out from an
overarching Tiger Conservation Plan (TCP), mandated
under Section 38 V of the Wildlife (Protection) Act,
1972. Inter alia, activities such as payment of ex-gratia
and compensation, periodic awareness campaigns to
sensitize, guide and advise the general populace on man-animal conflict, dissemination of information through
various forms of media, procurement of immobilization equipment, drugs, training and capacity building of forest
staff to deal with conflict events are generally solicited.
2. Restricting habitat interventions: Based on the carrying capacity of tigers in a tiger reserve, habitat interventions
are restricted through an overarching TCP. In case tiger numbers are at carrying capacity levels, it is advised that
habitat interventions should be limited so that there is no excessive spill over of wildlife including tigers thereby
minimizing man-animal conflict. Further, in buffer areas around tiger reserves, habitat interventions are restricted
such that they are sub-optimal vis-à-vis the core/critical tiger habitat areas, judicious enough to facilitate dispersal
to other rich habitat areas only.
3. Standard Operating Procedure (SOPs): The National Tiger Conservation Authority has issued following three
SOPs to deal with man-animal conflict which are available in public domain:
a. To deal with emergency arising due to straying of tigers in human dominated landscapes
b. To deal with tiger depredation on livestock
c. For active management towards rehabilitation of tigers from source areas at the landscape level.
The three SOPs inter
alia include the issue of
managing dispersing tigers,
managing livestock kills so
as to reduce conflict as well
as relocating tigers from
source areas to areas where
density of tiger is low, so
that conflict in rich source
areas does not occur.
In technical collaboration
with the Wildlife Institute
of India, the National Tiger
Conservation Authority has
also published a document
titled ‘Eco-Friendly measures
to mitigate impacts of Linear infrastructure on wildlife’ to safeguard these corridors from linear infrastructure
development besides sensitizing user agencies which inter alia include Indian Railway Traffic Service Probationers,
National Highways Authority of India personnel, Indian Railway Engineers, besides others.
An amount of Rs. 370 crores, Rs. 345 crores and Rs. 350 crores was allocated during the financial years 2016-17,
2017-18 and 2018-19 respectively, while an amount of Rs. 350 crores has been allocated for the current financial year
under the Centrally Sponsored Scheme of Project Tiger.
(Source: Press Information Bureau)
Regd. No. RNI 949/57
No. Pages 64 Licenced U(DN)-56/2018-20 to post without
Published on 23 December, 2019 pre-payment at RMS, Delhi (Delhi Post
Posted on 25 & 26 December, 2019 Postal Regd.) DL(S)-05/3230/2018-20
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YOJANA

January 2020 a development monthly ` 22

Environment Lead article

The Prime Minister at the United Nations General Assembly

Source: Press Information Bureau

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India at UNFCCC COP 25

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Kayakalp: Transforming Public Health Facilities

Mahatma Gandhi and Sanitation

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Sustainable Sanitation in the Cities

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is equivalent to 3,000 people defecating Box 2: Necessary Conditions for ODF+

Box 3: Necessary Conditions for ODF++

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Sales Outlets of Publications Division

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Water Management: Building a Resilient Nation

Environment and Community: Environment and Intersectionality:

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T he State of Rajasthan makes for a classic case on

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Role of Community Radio in Disaster Management

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The presence of community

the environmental change. During

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In Conversation with Prof. M.S. Swaminathan

But, I would say, we do not years we have taken a number

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