Raipur The Chhattisgarh region of Madhya Pradesh is rich in mineral resources. Hence it has become the bulb of industrial activity. It also has considerable forest wealth. Chhattisgarh is inhabited predominantly by indigenous people (tribals), particularly Bastar district which is contiguous to the Chhattisgarh plains. The People’s commission on Environment and Development India (PCED) held its 15th public hearing in Raipur, the principal town of the region, in collaboration with the Press Club of Raipur. This was the first occasion when the media was directly involved in such an exercise. The key issues examined revolved round the four major areas of popular concern. They were (i) the effect of development on the indigenous people; (ii) industrialisation and its impact; (iii) impact of mineral resource utilisation on the environment; and (iv) development of the forest-based economy in the region. On discussing the impact of development strategies on the lifestyle of the indigenous people of the area, the consensus was that the tribals cannot be preserved as museum pieces. They also have a right to enjoy the benefits of development, and need to be brought into the national mainstream. However, this should be done in a manner that does not destroy their traditional way of life and sever them from their cultural moorings. It was agreed that the task is a difficult one. The view was that experts from the concerned disciplines should be drawn together to fashion a philosophy of development which would take into account some of these parameters, and that the government machinery should be sensitised to the dangers of a sudden imposition of alien values on a people whose way of life has a distinctly different orientation. Mineral resource utilisation and industrialisation are similar in the nature of their impact on the environment. Both contribute to pollution of air, water and land. Proper land regimes, compensatory afforestation, and pollution reducing devices were considered essential to minimise the environmental hazards from mining and other industries. It was urged that the regulatory agencies should be more energetic and effective in ensuring that air and water quality parameters are adhered to strictly. As for small-scale industries, it was agreed that they should be provided financial and technical inputs to enable them to install pollution control mechanisms. Besides the environmental impact, the interface between modern technology and cultural identity was considered to be of significance. The impact of industrialisation on social systems and cultural patterns was stressed. It was highlighted that economic growth without reference to cultural environment is likely to result in grave economic and cultural imbalance which may weaken the entire social fabric. Industrialisation that dehumanises society and destroys life-support systems has to be replaced by socially equitable and environmentally sustainable development.
Calcutta The PCED held its 16th public hearing on environment and development in Calcutta in collaboration with the Indian Institute of Bio-social Research & Development. The environment related problems of megacities, industrial pollution, management of wastelands and forests, and conservation of wetlands were the key issues round which the hearing was structured. Industrial pollution has wide-ranging harmful consequences on all living forms on this planet. The view of the participants was that mere end-of-pipe activities to control pollution were not sufficient. There is need for an integrated approach to the problem, which should encompass all industrial processes that generate waste. There should be incentives for more efficient use of energy, optimal utilisation of industrial inputs and throughputs, and adoption of non-waste or low-waste producing technologies. As regards environmental problems of megacities, the focus was primarily on municipal waste management of Calcutta. The stress was on methods to make recycling of municipal wastes remunerative, and the need to update the traditional practices of using city wastes. On they key issue of forest management and bringing wasteland under tree cover, participatory management practices initiated by the West Bengal government were discussed at length. It was agreed that the involvement of the population living on the fringe of the forest, in their management and conservation, has yielded results. However, a critical review is necessary to introduce correction wherever needed so that the participatory mechanism is able to adapt itself to the changing requirement of the time. Regarding wetlands, the significance of this distinct ecosystem was appreciated. The need for a national wetland management policy with adequate legislative support was stressed. * * * * The other public hearings on environment and development during the years 1991 and 1992 have been held at Bangalore (Karnataka), Hardwar (Uttar Pradesh), Bhubaneswar (Orissa), Auroville (Tamil Nadu), Thiruvananthapuram (Kerala), Jammu (Jammu & Kashmir), Chandigarh, Vadodara (Gujarat), Bombay (Maharashtra), Madurai (Tamil Nadu), Kohima (Nagaland), Panaji (Goa), Jodhpur (Rajasthan) and Gorakhur (Uttar Pradesh). q
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