Lok Sabha Question No. 185 (UNSTARRED), answered on 2021-11-29
Subject: Constraints and challenges in Environmental Protection
Ministry: ENVIRONMENT,  FORESTS AND CLIMATE CHANGE
Asked by: Keshari Devi Patel

## GOVERNMENT OF INDIA

## MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE

## LOK SABHA UNSTARRED QUESTION NO.185

TO BE ANSWERED ON 29.11.2021

## Constraints and challenges in Environmental Protection

## 185. SHRIMATI KESHARI DEVI PATEL:

Will the Minister of ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE be pleased to state:

- (a) the details of measures taken for environmental protection;
- (b) the details of the environmental constraints and challenges and the plans being made by the Government to  overcome  such  challenges;
- (c) whether Joint  Forest  Management  will  be implemented in the form of an integrated programme of the people in the National Forest Policy, 1988;
- (d) the steps taken for its implementation and the details thereof;
- (e) whether    the    Government    is    contemplating    to  chalk    out    a    programme    of economic  development  of forest dwellers on the basis of ecological development, if so, the details thereof;
- (f) the  details  of  the  steps  taken  to  reduce  the emission  of  greenhouse  gases;  and
- (g) the number of forest areas identified in Prayagraj district including the steps taken for its development?

## ANSWER

## MINISTER OF STATE IN THE MINISTRY OF ENVIRONMENT, FOREST AND CLIMATE CHANGE (SHRI ASHWINI KUMAR CHOUBEY)

(a)  &  (b): For  environment  protection,  the  Government  has  taken  various  steps  like notification  of  industry  specific  emission  and  effluent  standards  under  the  Environment (Protection)  Rules,  1986,  and  their  enforcement  through  consent  mechanism,  regular monitoring, issuance of directions for installation of online effluent and emission monitoring systems for continuous check on pollution levels; categorization of industries based on their pollution  potential;  issuance  of  various  directions  under  Water  (Prevention  and  Control  of Pollution) Act, 1974, Air (Prevention and Control of Pollution) Act, 1981 and Environment (Protection) Act, 1986, etc. There are adequate legal and regulatory frameworks at national and state levels in the country which regulate protection, conservation and management of the natural resources including forests of the country for maintaining a better environment.

Ministry  of  Environment,  Forest  &  Climate  Change,  has  notified  environmental standards for 86 categories of pollution sources, out of which 63 are from industrial sectors including Coal based Thermal Power Plants (TPPs) and oil refineries. Besides, ambient air quality standards and general standards for emission and effluent for source not covered by sector  specific  norms  have  also  been  notified.  The  Ministry  implements  the  provisions  of

Environment  Impact  Assessment  (EIA)  Notification,  2006,  for  assessing  the  impact  of developmental projects on environment. The EIA Notification, 2006, as amended from time to  time  envisages  the  process  for  granting  Environmental  Clearance  (EC)  which  includes Screening, Scoping, Public Hearing and Appraisal.

(c) to (e) and (g): The National Forest Policy, 1988, states that 'a massive need-based and time-bound programme of afforestation and tree planting, with particular emphasis on fuelwood and fodder development, on all degraded and denuded lands in the country, whether forest  or  non-forest  land,  is  a  national  imperative.'  As  per  provisions  of  National  Forest Policy, 1988,  a  participatory approach  in  forest  management  named  as  Joint  Forest Management  has  been  implemented  for  creating  massive  people's  movement  through  the involvement  of  village  committees  for  the  protection,  regeneration  and  development  of degraded  forests  lands  situated  in  the  vicinity  of  villages.  The  National  Afforestation Programme (NAP) scheme is implemented by three tier institutional setup through the State Forest Development Agency (SFDA) at the State level, Forest Development Agency (FDA) at  the  forest  division  level  and  the  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees  (JFMCs)  at  the village level, which are registered societies.

National  Mission  for  a  Green  India  (GIM)  is  one  of  the  ongoing  eight  Missions outlined under the National Action Plan on Climate Change. GIM activities were started in 2015-16.  So  far,  a  sum  of  Rs.  492.20  Crores  have  been  released  to  fifteen  states  namely Andhra  Pradesh,  Chhattisgarh,  Himachal  Pradesh,  Karnataka,  Kerala,  Madhya  Pradesh, Maharashtra,  Manipur,  Mizoram,  Odisha,  Punjab,  Sikkim,  Uttarakhand,  West  Bengal  and Arunachal Pradesh and Union territory of  Jammu  &  Kashmir  for undertaking the afforestation  activities  over  184161  ha  through  Joint  Forest  Management  Committees.  The Mission  funds  are  also  being  utilized  for  activities  related  to  enhancement  of  livelihood income of people living in and around forest areas.

In  addition,  the  outlay  of  Annual  Plans  of  Operation  (APOs)  under  Compensatory Afforestation Fund (CAMPA) approved for the State of Uttar Pradesh during 2019-20 and 2020-21 is Rs. 285.68 crore and Rs. 442.01 crore respectively. The activities of APO include compensatory  afforestation,  assisted  natural  regeneration,  artificial  regeneration  and  other afforestation works.

(f ):  Steps  for  reducing  the  emissions  of  greenhouse  gases  are  being  coordinated  under  the overarching  framework  of  the  National  Action  Plan  for  Climate  Change  (NAPCC),  which comprises  of  several  National  Missions  including  on  Solar  energy  and  energy  efficiency. India  has  embarked  on  one  of  the  largest  clean  energy  transitions  in  the  world,  through ambitious targets in non-fossil and renewable energy. India has also made strong strides in sustainable mobility as exemplified, for example, in its policies for incentivising e-vehicles, rapid development of mass/public transportation networks, electrification of Indian Railways and net zero Railways by 2030, leapfrogging from BS IV to BS VI fuel norms, 20% ethanol blending in fuel by 2025, etc. Forest and tree cover in India is also on the rise, and these also serve  as  sinks  for  greenhouse  gases.  Under  the  Paris  Agreement,  India  has  submitted Nationally Determined Contributions (NDC) with quantified targets  to reduce the emissions intensity of its Gross Domestic Product (GDP) by 33 to 35 percent by 2030 from 2005 level, to achieve about 40% cumulative electric power installed capacity from non-fossil fuel-based energy resources by 2030, and to create an additional carbon sink of 2.5 to 3 billion tonnes of CO2eq  through  additional  forest  and  tree  cover  by  2030.  India,  as  a  part  of  the  National Statement  delivered  at  COP-26  in  Glasgow  in  November  2021,  has  made  the  following further announcements:

- i. India's non-fossil energy capacity to reach 500 GW by 2030.
- ii. India will meet 50 per cent of its energy requirements with renewable energy by 2030.
- iii. India will reduce its total projected carbon emissions by one billion tonnes from now to 2030.
- iv. India  will  reduce  the  carbon  intensity  of  its  economy  by  45  per  cent  by  2030,  over 2005 levels.
- v. By 2070, India will achieve the target of net zero emissions.

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