Historically,
since the beginning of the modern policy of 'Balance of Power' in International Relations, India and other countries yielded the idea of Non- aligned movement (NAM), which aims national interest, economic growth,
sustainable development goals and mutual peaceful coexistence among countries
with peace and harmony. In international affairs developing countries like
India, which relies upon the ideologies of realism. And that emphasized upon national interest, national
economic growth, foreign relations, trade and commerce through other countries.
Nevertheless, it has omitted several substantial areas alike climate crisis and
global environmental policies.
After
the 2015 Paris Agreement, most of the rich and developed countries from EU and
the United States have emphasized upon climate polices and tried to contrivance a few
of them. Nonetheless, it has not reflected any positive impression so far.
India where internal and external affairs and governmental policies primarily
remains attentions upon nuclear weapons, disarmament policies, economic growth,
development, employment, caste, religion and gender. However, measurable
climate policies and environmental protection laws are insignificant. These
remain wholly ignored because of the unawareness which carries major adverse
penalties so far.
Governmental
policies in India The Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change
(MoEF&CC) issued the draft Environment Impact Assessment
Notification (EIA) 2020 which
swapped the existing EIA Notification 2006, under the environment (protection)
Act, 1986. The deeds of EIA are possibly hurtful to the milieu. Nevertheless,
in India, it hasn’t provided relevant details on Greenhouse gas (GHG)
emissions, mitigation, adaptation possibilities, and it doesn’t cover
climate-specific consequences. Additionally, in India where plainlands,
grasslands, mangroves, deserts and rainforest areas are lengthily
differentiated, and more than millions of people relay on natural resources.
The Government of India (GOI) wholly fugitive from the attention of the
environment and wildlife regulations.
Since
2014, the GOI envisioned to the expanse of river, wildlife and environment but
after the six years of the signs of progress are motionless. Subsequently, in
2019 the EIA draft notification derived which is an environmental threat in
India. Especially, regions like Assam where many wildlife sanctuaries, national reserve
forests are there. One of them is Dehing and Patkai which called the ‘Amazon of
The East’, and it is the habitation for many ICUN (International Union for
Conservation of Nature) rare species including flora and fauna.
The
region Assam is an eco-sensitive and rich biodiversity area where the North-
Easter Coal Field (NECF), a unit of Coal India Limited and Government of India
approved coal mining projects which damage the biodiversity of the region. The
regular excavation and manning projects can surge regular floods of this
region. Nevertheless, the Government of India (GOI) has not stopped the coal
mining and excavating developments yet.
Another
illegal mining ventures of the region Aravalli which breadths 700 km long mountain range which
begins from India’s western state of Gujrat through Rajasthan and Haryana
before terminating at Raisina hill, at the heart of national capital Delhi. The
Aravalli hill is of the oldest mountain ranges in the world and full of mineral
deposits, flora and fauna. Many water streams instigated from the hills of
Aravalli. And which plays a shield against the Thar desert to defend parts of
Rajasthan, Haryana and Delhi from dust, pollution, heat and sand storms.
Additionally, the widespread and illicit deforestation, mining developments set
effect on this region. Mining plans are violating the milieu and its wildlife
sanctuary.
India’s National Board for Wildlife (NBWL) puts a menace on the wildlife endangered
areas. In India, the protected area (PA) network covers around 5.2 per cent of
the country. Which concealments wildlife sanctuaries, national parks,
conservation reserves, community reserves and marine protected areas. At the
beginning of April, the National Board of Wildlife’s (NBWL) standing committee permitted 16
plans which will not assist in the
environment. Similarly, these developments measured highways, transmission
lines and railway lines through national parks, sanctuaries, and tiger stripes.
Other actions involved some 3,00 acres of land in eco-sensitive expanses.
Railway line through a tiger strip in Telangana, which requires almost 168 ha
of forest land, and a diversion within Gangotri National Park, at the part of
Uttarakhand. Besides a highway expansion through the Mollem Wildlife sanctuary
in Goa. One object stands apparent that the National Board of Wildlife which is
underneath the MoEFCC it has not protected the natural atmosphere and creatures
of these areas instead of that they are terminating it solely.
The
Government of India’s Ministry of Forest, Environment and Climate Change
missions habitually emphasized upon tourism, s
ubstructure, employment,
development and financial advance. Still, it never stressed upon the
environment, forest, and wildlife safety matters. Climate change is a civic
problem. It has also described as a local, national and afterwards it’s a
global problem. Hence, it has not easy to solve a global crisis.
In International Relations, scholars like Morgenthau asserts about Balance of Power and national self-interest, which depends upon statecraft’s relative issues and gains. In realist’s world countries are not concerned about masses interest. They are not going to discuss it. However, global institutions and organizations (Greenpeace) those who are working for climate and environmental issues can lead a new movement towards violation of climate laws. Similarly, people should not ‘react’ upon climate change, but it is a time to ‘act’ to prevent the future climate distress.
Shreya Shaw is a Post Graduate Student of Politics and International Studies Department at Pondicherry University, India.
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