Recently, the MOEF asked the Coal Ministry NOT to conduct auction for the Mahan coal block, because it comes under an "inviolate area". Is this a good sign ? We can note that Greenpeace and the local Mahan activists were fighting for this status . Can the MOEF come clean and state whether they have accepted the main contention of Greenpeace and others ?
Where there is requirement of forest guard a Range officer is posted and Conservator of forest is residing in forest areas where only DFO(Divisional Forest Officer) can suffice just to give promotions higher posts are created which is huge burden to Exchequer .It is rather more appropriate these Forest officers to the rank of rangers and DFO are doing the duties of civil officers in Jungle and tribal areas like ration and daily requirements including drinking water and plant more fruit and herbal plants in forests rather than Eucalyptus and other useless plants in forests higher ranking officers Conservator of forest to be used for social forestry Ganga cleaning and environment cleaning and protection in urban areas and making cities more green.
These activists only put hurdles in the path of progress and have no consideration for the needs of the people. They want all the benefits of development for themselves but if any new road, canal, rail line, power plant (whether thermal, nuclear, hydel or even solar or wind) their only agenda is to oppose new projects. Shame on them.
The views expressed by the author are correct to a large extent. However on the other hand the laws & procedures relating to pollution control need also to be blamed, which are promulgated without keeping in mind their implementabilty in practice. The environment pollution control requires scientific and technical acumen in the government departments like local bodies, public health & sanitation department etc, which is far below average. Pollution control probably is last in the agenda of the departments who are responsible for sewage and solid waste management under their control. The grass root level problem is the up-gradation of their knowledge level and skills. If the government relies on these bodies as they are, with their existing set ups, level of scientific knowledge & skills, all the rivers will be like Ganga and all the cities stinking as it was in Surat before the advent of plague. If local bodies are to be run by persons without any planning potential, scientific temper and state of the art technical acumen, by the omniscient jan- pratinidhis, all the funds and money will drain into Nullahs, and all the rivers will soon reach the fate of Ganga, Yamuna and Gomti.
