Pune Mirror: Pune: Monday, August
22, 2016.
Govts fail to
implement bio-diversity act, documentation through people's register also
non-starter.
Observing the
lackadaisical attitude of state governments in implementing the Biological
Diversity Act, 2002, the National Green Tribunal's (NGT) principal bench in
Delhi has issued an arrest warrant against all states which have been made
respondents in the case.
Mirror had,
on July 9, reported that despite the Act being passed 12 years ago, it still
remains on paper. The petition was filed by a Punebased environment protection
volunteer on the basis of information filed under the Right to Information
(RTI) Act. The information had revealed shocking data about the fact that the
states are severely lagging behind in forming the biodiversity monitoring
committees as well as the fact that the People's Biodiversity Register
documenting the flora and fauna found in the area falling under these
committees, too, has not reached a conclusion despite several years having
passed.
The court, in
its hearing last week, had issued a bailable warrant against residents in the
sum of Rs 10,000. The respondent states have also been directed to file their
replies within three weeks with advance copy to the applicant who may file a
rejoinder. The case is next going to be heard on September 29.
Commenting on
this order, Chandra Bhal Singh, who had filed the petition, said, "For the
first time, the court has passed such an order, which is unprecedented. It is
an embarrassment for the administration that the court has to issue such a strong
order. The administration has been taking no cognisance of this and it is
extremely sad to look at their lackadaisical attitude towards protection of
biodiversity. I welcome this order whole-heartedly."
The
information gathered had revealed that even Maharashtra, which had the maximum
number of monitoring committees, had a mere 1,562 committees for 28,813
panchayats and municipal corporations. The state had submitted no People's
Biodiversity Register either.
"By now,
we must have made around 4,000 committees across the state. It was after the
first notice itself that the commissioners had taken the matter on a war
footing and issued letters for quick action in this regard. The whole case has
had a positive impact on quickening this process," said one of the members
of Maharashtra's state biodiversity board.
Maharashtra's
biodiversity committee was formed as late as 2012 and in the previous period
had a lot of administrative problems. It is only now that the board has been
stabilised.
"First
of all, there have been no efforts taken to spread awareness among various
villagers about the way they should go forth with creating the committees and
the need for making the registers. They have to be shown the importance of biodiversity
how it is a treasure and how the services it gives us are invaluable. It is
shameful that there is no seriousness in implementation of the Act and that the
administration is taking it all lightly. This makes us wonder whether there are
any vested interests at the government level may be they don't want to document
the diversity which they feel might get in the way of 'development'," said
Rajiv Pandit, founder of Jividha, an organisation working for environment
conservation and education.
Santosh
Shintre, another environmentalist from the city, said, "India was the
first-ever country to pass a dedicated Act to protect biodiversity. However,
this Act is not reflected in other policies of the country and exists in
isolation even though it cannot be thus implemented. The government has to
understand that better biodiversity is better and cheaper living. For example,
in Raigad district, a maid, while returning home from work earlier, had access
to 18 different types of wild vegetables which she could cook at home. Now, due
to industrialisation, it has been lost and the district has to import
vegetables from Mumbai."
Environmentalist
Pradeep Chavan said, "It is a good move by the NGT since all the
environmental laws the Biodiversity Act the most have been neglected when it
comes to implementation. In the initial phase, when the Act was passed, some
people had opposed certain provisions, stating that this will put the
traditional knowledge of the community at risk of exploitation by commercial
forces. After that, discussion as well as implementation have totally fallen
behind. It is a great step since it an offence that no heed was paid by the
state governments to the previous orders."
This makes us
wonder whether there are any vested interests at the govt level may be they
don't want to document the diversity which they feel might get in the way of
'development'